


Friends First

by witch0000



Category: Good Witch (TV)
Genre: Dirty Talk, Don't Judge Me, F/F, Fluff and Smut, Friendship/Love, I Don't Even Know, I Ship It, I love these two!, Lesbian Sex, Oral Sex, Sex, Smut, Spirits
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:35:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 26,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24745447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/witch0000/pseuds/witch0000
Summary: Abigail struggles with revealing her true self to her best friend for fear of losing her forever. Until the spirit of her mother appears and gives her the advice she's been longing for.
Relationships: Stephanie Borden/Abigail Pershing
Comments: 15
Kudos: 36





	1. Secrets are Spilled

**Author's Note:**

> I love reading the Stephanie/Abigail stories so much. I have no idea why these two so sweet and adorable have captured my heart-not usually my style, but I have to balance out my other obsessions and this one is relatively healthy. I saw the episode where Stephanie is trying to win tickets to see Stevie Nicks, and being a huge fan, my mind instantly latched to an idea for a story. I hope you enjoy it. My apologies if there are any typos--I'm beta-less at the moment.

“Am I the right caller?” Stephanie, asked hopefully. “No, I’m the one that’s sorry,” she said dejectedly, ending the call.

“What was that about,” asked Abigail, Stephanie’s best friend and very frequent diner at Stephanie’s restaurant--the Bistro.

“I was trying to win tickets to the Stevie Nicks concert, but no luck yet.”

“So how did I not know that you were a big fan of the high priestess of rock and roll herself?” Abigail teased. “What else are you hiding in your broom closet?”

“I guess there’s a lot about me you don’t know, yet, and yes, I’ve been a fan ever since I was a little girl. Something about her lyrics and her haunting voice just speaks to me,” Stephanie confessed. “I have seen her in concert several times, but it’s been awhile and I feel like I need my Nicks Fix. I’m guessing that you’re a fan of the legend herself?”

“Oh I am a huge fan, my friend! I have every single album she’s ever made—even the ones that kinda suck when she was going through that huge case of writer’s block,” Abigail gushed. “I’ve seen her no less than a dozen times, and it’s like a religious experience watching her spin on stage. The way she enthralls the whole crowd with her poetry and her voice—that’s my kind of witch!”

“I think it might be a Merriwick thing too, because Cassie and Grace are really into her as well,” Abigail explained. “I remember the last time she came around, Cassie and Grace left the house in full on Stevie Nicks attire—the long black dress, with a Victorian flair, hair flat-ironed and shiny, a shawl for spinning and boots so high I thought poor Grace was going to have a nose bleed. They talked about that show for months afterwards. I think it’s one of the best memories they have.”

“How come you didn’t go to the show with them?” Stephanie asked. “It sounds like you would have enjoyed yourself just as much as they did.”

Abigail shifted uncomfortably in her seat and looked very interested in her glass of iced tea.

“Abigail? Spill—why didn’t you go to the concert with Grace and Cassie?” Stephanie asked again.

“That would be because she only had two tickets to the concert and she knew how much Grace and I loved Stevie and she gave them to us instead of going herself,” a familiar voice piped up.

“That was kind of a secret, Cassie,” Abigail said, blushing.

“I’m sorry, Abigail,” Cassie said apologetically. “You and Stephanie are such close friends, I guess I just imagined you shared everything with each other—even your secrets.”

“Why on earth would you keep something like that a secret?” Stephanie asked, genuinely confused. “Everyone knows you’re a nice person, even though you try so hard to hide it—we all know it’s an act.”

“It wasn’t a big deal. I’d seen her many times, and Grace hadn’t had that experience yet, and I wanted that for her. And I believe it was somewhere around the time of Cassie’s birthday, so it was a two-for-one special,” Abigail explained.

“And, you are a wonderful cousin, and it really was one of the very best memories Grace and I share, and for that, and for so much more, I’m very grateful that you’re my family,” Cassie said.

“Me too,” Abigail said, rising from her stool at the bar. “And on that note, I’ve got a few more orders I need to get finished before I head home tonight, so I’ll bid you both good night.”

“Where did that shyness and modesty come from,” Stephanie asked Cassie. “Usually she’s quick to take credit, whether or not she actually deserves it,” said her friend chuckling. “This isn’t like her.”

“Well,” Cassie said, “Abigail has grown and changed a lot since she’s moved to Middleton. Especially since the two of you have become such good friends. Maybe taking credit all the time has lost its charm and she’s learned to appreciate the joy of giving just for the sake of giving. And I do happen to know that it was a very big sacrifice for Abigail to make, which made it all the more special,” Cassie explained. “I just wished I’d honored her gift and kept it quiet.”

“Cassie, I’m glad you told me that story,” Stephanie said. “It sheds more light onto the inner workings of one Abigail Pershing.”

“And you seem very keen to understand all of her inner workings—especially lately,” Cassie said, her mouth turning up into a knowing smile.

“Can’t get anything by you, can I Cassie,” Stephanie said sheepishly. “I’ll admit. I’ve got a mad girl crush on your cousin and every time I think I’ve put a lid on it, she goes and does something super sweet.”

“Are you sure you want to keep a lid on it Stephanie?” Cassie asked. “It seems that the two of you share some pretty strong feelings.”

“Do you know how she feels about me, Cassie?” Stephanie asked anxiously. “Has she talked to you about me?”

“Let’s just say that the two of you are good enough friends that you should honor that friendship and say what’s on your heart to each other.”

“Easier said than done Cassie,” Stephanie said frowning. “You know your cousin. If I say the wrong thing, I could scare her off and she’ll be on a plane to parts unknown before I can say ‘what just happened?’

“She can be impetuous, that’s true,” Cassie said. “And she has a very hard time expressing her feelings. But I do feel like you’ve been a tremendous influence on her, as has Grace.”

“And you Cassie,” Stephanie said as Cassie blushed slightly.

“Well, just think about it Stephanie. The right words will come to you at the right time,” Cassie said as she waved goodbye and headed back to the Bell, Book, and Candle Shop.


	2. Mom, is that you?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abigail gets a visit from her mother's spirit and gets the advice she's been longing for.

Abigail returned to her flower shop and immediately put herself to work. She had 10 table arrangements to make tonight for a big fundraiser for the Mayor’s Art Fund, and Martha had told her she needed something spectacular to encourage generosity from her donors. This was just the sort of project she needed to take her mind off of that conversation she just had with Cassie and Stephanie. _It wasn’t so bad, was it?_ Abigail thought to herself _. So what if Stephanie found out I’m capable of being generous and wanting to keep it secret? Why did I want to keep it secret? I usually brag about every little thing I do just to continually point out to everyone within ear shot that I’m not a terrible person._

And then a familiar voice inside Abigail’s head said “you aren’t trying to prove it to everyone else—you’re trying to prove it to yourself.”

_“Mom? Is that you?”_ Abigail’s heart began to race and she rapidly scanned the shop to see if anything was out of place. She’d often tried to communicate with her mom’s spirit, but she had never learned the knack of mediumship—until today apparently.

_“If that’s you, Mom, do something so that I know for sure it’s you I’m talking with,”_ Abigail said, standing very still and waiting for something to happen.

“Why do you always rely more on proof and evidence than on faith, sweet Abby?” her Mom’s voice said as tears welled up in Abigail’s eyes. _“I know I should know it’s you Mom, but I’m afraid I just want it to be you so much that I’m making it up in my head. Can you just do a little something? Just so I know it’s you and that I’m not imagining all of this?”_

All of a sudden, the lights in the shop flickered on and off 14 times—the age Abigail was when her mom died—then stayed on at full brightness. And if that wasn’t enough evidence, an old radio that Abigail kept under the counter started playing her favorite song—Rhiannon by Stevie Nicks— _and it’s not even plugged in or turned on!_ Abigail thought excitedly. _“Oh my God—Mom, it’s really you!”_

Tears ran freely down her face, as she felt the energy of her mom suffuse her heart with all the love and comfort she’d been missing since that sad day when her mom left the earth. She took a few minutes to just breathe it all in, as a big smile spread across her face.

_“Mom, I’m so glad you’re finally here! I’ve missed you so much! What took you so long, and why did you decide to come to me today, when I’ve literally asked you hundreds of times to talk to me, send me a sign, materialize or something!”_ Abigail said, peppering her Mom’s spirit with questions.

“I’ve never left your side, Abby. Never once. You just couldn’t hear me,” her mother explained. “Sometimes when we want something so badly and we wish for it really hard, it can be right in front of us and we don’t even notice it until sometimes it’s too late. And it’s exactly why I’m here at this very moment. To keep you from missing the thing that you want most in the world because it’s right in front of you and you can’t see it.”

_“But Mom, you’re the one I’ve wanted to talk to most in the world, and I’m not missing you—you’re here and I’m listening.”_

“And I’ve been here every day for the past 16 years, and you’ve never noticed me once, Abby, but you finally have and I’m so grateful. Because you see, I’m here today because there’s someone else, besides me, that you’re missing and she’s right here under your nose.”

_“Ok, mom, I’m listening. Who are you talking about and what have I been missing and wishing for?”_ Abigail asked, genuinely puzzled as to what her mom was alluding to.

“You really need me to spell it out for you, don’t you?” Abigail’s mother said, as a sign on the wall with the word 'Love' written on it suddenly fell off of its hook and fell to the floor, miraculously intact.

_“Love? The thing that I’ve been missing and wishing for, and she’s right under my nose? Oh, you have been paying attention, haven’t you Mom?”_ Abigail said.

“Yes my dear. It’s love. The blond woman from the coffee shop. You’re in love with her, and you aren’t being honest with her or with yourself. Why sweetheart? You have the heart of a lion—you make things happen! So why are you so terrified of your feelings for Stephanie? She’s a lovely person, and truthfully, I couldn’t have picked a nicer girl for my daughter to fall in love with,” Abigail’s mother said.

_“I’m not even going to play the, ‘you’re way off base on this one Mom’, because you are absolutely correct. I’ve always had way more feelings for women than men. I just didn’t want to stick out as more of a weirdo than I already am,”_ Abigail said honestly. _“And Stephanie? She’s everything I ever dreamed of in a woman, and all of the things I feel I don’t deserve. And let’s face it—my track record in love sucks. And I finally have made a good friend—a best friend. I can’t take a chance and ruin everything with my feelings.”_

“Sweetheart, what if Stephanie feels the same way that you do? Would that change everything?” Abigail’s mother asked.

_“Yes, but that’s not…”_ Abigail started and was interrupted by her mom.

“I asked you a question with a one-word answer, and you just gave it to me—Yes. So why waste one more minute worrying and wondering and denying happiness to two lovely women who deserve to be happy. Quit messing around. Every day you don’t tell Stephanie how you feel is the day she might slip away from you. You asked me to come to you. I have. You asked me for a special message. I’ve given you one. What you do with all of this, is up to you. I have to go now, but I promise you that if you’re brave, and you face your fears and talk to Stephanie and share what’s on your heart, I’ll be right beside you, cheering you on and watching with all the pride a mother can have for her most beloved daughter. I love you sweetheart.”

Abigail shivered as she felt the spirit of her mother depart the shop immediately, leaving her feeling more whole, and happy than she was before the visit. Abigail knew how special that visit from her mom was. Cassie and she had spoken about wanting to talk with their mothers’ spirits many times. For Cassie, it had happened once, when she was in a near death accident, but Abigail had never had the blessing of contact with her mom. Until today.

Turning back to her flower arrangements, she had a brand-new idea in mind and couldn’t wait to see how beautiful it would all come together. She filled elegant mercury glass bowls with an exquisite assortment of orange and purple roses, orange gladioli, lavender, and accented the arrangement with chrysanthemums and assorted greens for a sumptuous look. She only needed 10 for the fundraiser, but she put together an extra one, with someone special in mind.

As she finished the last of the order and put the arrangements in the cooler for Tom, the delivery man to pick up and bring to the fundraiser, she put her coat on, grabbed her purse and the 11th centerpiece and headed out the door. _I really should take a little time and figure out how I’m going to say what I want to say, but my mom’s right. Every day I waste is a day we could be happy together. I don’t care if I say it exactly right, just as long as I let her know what’s on my heart._


	3. Searching for the Words to Say

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am having so much fun with these two...I hope you are two! Let me know what you think in the comments :)

_Cassie’s right._ Stephanie thought _. I need to get my nerve up and tell Abigail how I feel about her. But I don’t feel like I’m much of a wordsmith, or an orator. Maybe I can find a poem that speaks to how I feel about her?_

Stephanie went to her desk in the corner of the living room and searched the internet for poems about love, poems about friends, poems about friends who are in love with friends, and anything else she thought might fit the bill. As she poured over beautiful words of love, happiness, joy and hope, her heart filled with emotion, and tears started to form in the corners of her eyes. Her cell phone rang, jarring her out of her reverie.

“Hi mom. What’s up?” Stephanie asked wiping her eyes. She wasn’t particularly in the mood to talk with her mother tonight, but it was easier to take the call now instead of putting off the call until tomorrow.

“I’m just calling to see how you are, dear. Anything cooking on the romantic front you want to tell me about?” Betty asked.

“You sure don’t beat around the bush, do you?” Stephanie said laughing. “Well, if you want the truth, you caught me searching for love poems on the internet. There’s someone I’m really crazy about and I’m terrified that she doesn’t feel the same way about me.”

“She? Well that’s kind of refreshing, dear. How long have you known of your preference for women?” Betty asked, genuinely interested.

“Probably since the first sleepover I ever went to in middle school. I never got a wink of sleep at those things because there would invariably be a girl that I was crushed out on, which made me nervous and goofy. And I was afraid she would think I was weird and wouldn’t like me back,” Stephanie said.

“But darling, you’ve been married, divorced and had a score of boyfriends, but never a girl you’ve wanted to tell me about. This woman must be someone extra special to make you brave enough to tell me about her—and brave enough to find the right love poem to tell her just how you feel,” Betty said.

“Mom, I’ve got to say, you’re being wonderful to me right now. I was afraid you might not take it very well,” Stephanie said.

“Darling, I gave birth to a sweet, sweet woman who radiates sunshine and love upon everyone in her orbit. You’re capable of giving so much love. I’m honestly so happy that you’ve decided the time is right to live the life you want to live. And at least, it opens up the dating pool considerably in Middleton—you are kind of running out of eligible bachelors, aren’t you” Betty said as she and Stephanie erupted in laughter.

“Oh, mom I needed that laugh! Thank you so much for loving me and being my mom and supporting me no matter what.”

“I love you sweetheart. Now find that poem, tell your girl how you feel and let me know how it goes! I’ll expect a full report in the next couple of days!” Betty said as she ended the call and Stephanie returned to her search for the right poem. Just as she was ready to give up and head over to the nearest Hallmark store for a card, she lit upon the perfect verse to give to Abigail.

**Be Mine?**

Our friends talk to me,  
  
My eyes straying as you walk to me, hips swaying  
  
Pleasingly - Teasingly.  
  
Gazes lock like a bolted latch.  
  
You smile. I melt.  
  
So strange how I've felt these last few days  
  
Everyone praises me and how happy I appear to be.  
  
  
  
I am.  
  
  
  
So - Be mine, be mine, my sweet sunshine  
  
Affection like fog clouding my mind  
  
Butterfly kisses - stars in my eyes  
  
Behind door #1 lies my precious prize  
  
  
  
You sit there, laughing, talking.  
  
I look on in contemplation - adoration  
  
If I had one wish it would be to simply watch you  
  
Memorize your every curve, every groove.  
  
You move me, stirring passions  
  
I had long since hidden away in the dungeon of my heart.  
  
  
  
So - Be mine, be mine, my sweet sunshine  
  
Affection like fog clouding my mind  
  
Butterfly kisses - stars in my eyes  
  
Behind door #1 lies my precious prize

_Poem by foxglove_

Opening her desk drawer and taking out her very best stationary, she copied the poem onto the sheet with her elegant handwriting. She thought about writing some sort of an opening paragraph, but decided that a beautifully handwritten love poem on top of a box of her lady’s favorite cinnamon sticky rolls would communicate what was in her heart clearly and truly. And amazingly enough, she had thought to bring home a box that she’d baked this morning—now all she needed was Abigail to appear.

As if on cue, the doorbell rang, and Stephanie smiled and walked over to the door, knowing that there would never be a better time than right now to tell Abigail how she felt.


	4. Flowers and Poetry and Rhiannon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie and Abigail finally share what's been in their hearts for a long time.

“Hi,” said Abigail, as she stood in the doorway to Stephanie’s house. “I should have called, but I…well, I have something important to talk to you about and it’s taken me awhile to get up my nerve.”

“You never need to call, silly! There is literally no one I’d rather see right now than you,” Stephanie said, her eyes twinkling. _God she makes me feel like a teenager! Now, do I let her go on with her own declaration, or do I barge to the head of the line with mine?_ Stephanie wondered.

As Abigail entered the house, she handed the flower arrangement to Stephanie. “I was thinking about you this afternoon—a lot. And I got inspired to create this arrangement because every flower reminds me of you.”

“Really? Well, I need to hear all about that! Why don’t you get cozy on the couch and I’ll get some wine?” Stephanie said, depositing the flowers on the coffee table and going to the kitchen to get a bottle of Abigail’s favorite white wine and two glasses. She really just needed a minute to collect herself. She hadn’t expected this turn of events, and she literally couldn’t wait to hear whatever it was that Abigail had to say to her. Wine bottle and glasses in hand, she took a deep breath, reminded herself that everything was going to be all right no matter what, and joined Abigail on the couch. She took a few moments to uncork the wine and fill each of their glasses, then sat back, folded her hands neatly on her lap and said, “Ok, Pershing… the floor is all yours. What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?”

Abigail looked straight into Stephanie’s eyes for a long moment, and finally said, “All the words have left my head. I literally have no idea how to say what I want to say to you. I’ve always sucked at saying how I feel.”

“Well,” Stephanie said, “your language is flowers, and if the flowers in this arrangement remind you of me, why don’t you let them tell the story?”

Abigail took a deep breath and smiled at her friend. “That’s a really good idea—I mean, you usually have really, really good ideas, but this one is really, really great.”

“You don’t have to be nervous,” Stephanie said, reaching over to squeeze one of Abigail’s hands. “It’s me, and you don’t ever need to be nervous around me.”

“Ok,” Abigail said taking a deep breath and settling herself down a bit. “So here goes. The purple roses are a sign of enchantment, and in this bouquet, they symbolize my romantic feelings and intentions towards you.” Abigail picked up Stephanie’s hand and brought it to her lips, depositing a soft kiss full of promise.

“The gladioli symbolize how infatuated I am with you, and how you’ve pierced my cold, dead heart with passion. And the orange roses symbolize how excited I feel when I’m with you, and even when I’m thinking about you, which is like, all the time,” Abigail said, kissing the pulse point on the inside of Stephanie’s wrist.

“And the chrysanthemum represents my loyalty and devotion to you. And finally, the lavender is an ancient symbol of women loving women,” Abigail finished, still holding Stephanie’s hand in hers.

Deeply touched by Abigail’s gift, Stephanie took a sip of wine, and reached over for the beautiful piece of paper that had been sitting on the coffee table since Abigail sat down.

“Your timing is impeccable, my dear,” Stephanie said. “If you hadn’t shown up tonight, I would have been at your doorstep, because I also have something I need to say to you, and it can’t wait another minute. And I was afraid of winging it, and losing my words, so I found a poem that expresses everything I feel for you right now, in this moment. Would you like me to read it to you, or would you rather read it yourself?”

“Oh, I’m going to need you to read that to me…nice and slow…and don’t leave anything out,” Abigail said, her eyes dancing with mischief.

“Don’t you dare tease me about this, or I’ll spread word of your lavender-loving bouquet soliloquy all over town,” Stephanie said with mock seriousness.

“Ok, ok…Vegas rules,” Abigail said seriously. “Pinky swear?” Stephanie responded, hooking her pinky with Abigail’s as the two women dissolved in laughter.

“Damn it, woman, read me my poem! I’m on pins and needles here!” Abigail said.

“All right then,” Stephanie said, and began reading the poem with all of the love and passion she had longed to express but was too frightened to. When she finished, she looked over at Abigail, her face streaming with tears, and smile that could light up any room.

“Oh, you big softy—you’re a wreck!” Stephanie said as she pulled Abigail into her arms, while they both let out tears of relief that they had been holding in for so long.

“So I guess it’s official?” Abigail asked. “We’re doing this?”

“Well, it’s not official yet. We still have one more step to take before we enter into the wide, wide world of being together as ‘Girlfriends’ with a capital ‘G’,” Stephanie said, capturing Abigail’s lips in a searing kiss that lit a fire that burned brightly through their bodies. Feeling emboldened, Abigail returned the kiss passionately, while her hands found their way to the waistband of Stephanie’s jeans, then traveled up the back of her shirt where she met soft, warm skin that delighted her and made her heart melt a little. 

After a few long minutes of kissing, they released each other’s lips and sat holding each other closely with their foreheads touching while they caught their breath.

“That was pretty amazing,” Abigail said sighing happily. “I would have been happy if that was half as good as it was, but now that I know how fantastical your lips feel on mine, I’m going to want to be doing that a lot.”

“I don’t actually see any particular reason why we need to stop just yet, do you?” Stephanie said, with a flirty lilt to her voice that Abigail decided she wanted to hear more often. “I mean, we’ve known each other for a long time, we are consenting adults, and I’m quite sure that this can only get better with practice.”

“Well, I don’t know, Stephanie,” Abigail said seriously. “I’m just not that kind of girl, you know.”

And at that Stephanie burst out laughing and said “Oh yes you are! How often have I seen you do the walk of shame the morning after hooking up with the flavor of the week?”

Abigail smiled ruefully, saying, “you have a point. I’ve been a bit of a slut over the past couple of years. But that was only because none of them mattered. Ok, Donovan mattered somewhat, but that crashed and burned when he decided I’d make a lousy governor’s wife.”

“I have to tell you, the whole time you were with Donovan, I really wanted you to be happy, but at the same time, my heart was breaking. I was so angry at myself for not telling you how I felt, because I have felt this way about you for a really long time,” Stephanie said. “So his loss is definitely my gain. I feel like a got an extra chance and I’m so glad I finally got over myself and am finally able to tell you that you are beautiful, smart, amazing, and sexy as hell, and whatever kind of girl you are is the kind of girl I want. So if you want to go out on a few proper dates, hold hands while strolling through town, talk on the phone for hours until we fall asleep listening to each other’s voices, and all sorts of things that people who start dating and falling in love do, I’m 100% in. But….” Stephanie said, pulling Abigail close to her lips, “I’ve already been in love with you for a quite some time. We’ve had dozens of dinner dates, gone out for drinks, sung karaoke, gone to parties together, strolled arm-in-arm through the streets of Middleton and late at night in the garden. I will do whatever you want, Abigail. We can take it slow, or we can take it to the bedroom right now—either way I’m happy because I get to be with you.”

“Wow, Stephanie. The genie is out of the bottle and you are laying all your cards out on the table,” Abigail said, surprised.

“We’ve wasted enough time, don’t you think?” Stephanie asked.

“Wait, that’s just what my mother said today!” Abigail exclaimed.

“Your mother? Didn’t she die when you were 14?” Stephanie said puzzled.

“I’m a Merriwick, remember? Although mediumship hasn’t really been my thing, I guess I’m coming into some new witchy powers or something. So mom came to me today, and after I ran her through her paces and made her flicker the lights and make the radio with no batteries that was not plugged in play my favorite Stevie Nicks song….” “Rhiannon?” Stephanie interrupted. “Of course!” Abigail responded. “Now if I might continue?”

Stephanie nodded and Abigail resumed her story. “Anyway, I was so overwhelmed and touched that she finally came through to me after all these years. I had so many questions, and all she wanted to talk to me about was to not look so hard for something that I miss my heart’s desire who is right in front of me. I was kind of dense about the whole thing, but she spelled it out by knocking down the sign hanging on the wall that says “Love” on it. She challenged me and said ‘what if Stephanie feels the same way that you do?’ and the kicker was ‘why waste one more minute worrying and wondering and denying happiness to two lovely women who deserve to be happy.’ So here I am, and I don’t want to waste any more time either—but I really, really, really have a bad track record with love and I don’t want to ruin this. I want this to last, Stephanie. I want it to last, well, for as long as possible.”

“Your track record means nothing to me, Abigail. You’ve never been in a relationship with me before and this is way too important for either of us to screw up. You and I will communicate. We will agree. We will disagree. We will learn to enjoy things that we never thought we would. We will put each other’s needs before our own to the point where it will become a habit we can’t break. We will show each other love, and tenderness, and affection and express our love with our bodies, minds and souls. We will do all of those things, Abigail Pershing, whether we do them quickly or slowly, and whether we want to or not. I’m not exactly the poster child for healthy relationships, but I’ve never wanted to have a healthy relationship with anyone as much as I do you.”

“My head is literally going to float off my shoulders,” Abigail said, swallowing the rest of the wine in her glass and holding it out for a refill which Stephanie obliged. “I don’t know if I’m on cloud nine, or a little drunk, or just in love.”

“Probably all of the above. And I know just what you need. “Alexa! Turn the lights down to 50% and play Rhiannon.”

“Wow—like a boss, Stephanie Borden! I’m impressed,” Abigail said smiling and allowing her girlfriend to pull her up from the couch as the lights dimmed and their favorite song started to play.

“May I have this dance?” Stephanie said, bowing low to her dance partner. “Why I’d be delighted,” she replied, placing her hands on Stephanie’s waist while the her girlfriend laid her head on her shoulder. “I guess I’m going to be leading, eh?” Abigail said with a chuckle.

“Maybe on the dance floor, but that’s going to be about it, Missy,” Stephanie said with mock sternness.

“Ohhhhh…are you going to tell me what to do in the bedroom?” Abigail said teasingly.

“Sometimes yes, sometimes no,” Stephanie said honestly. “I don’t like being pigeon-holed into specific roles. I like to keep things fresh.”

“Oh, I’m plenty fresh,” Abigail said smirking.

“It’s one of my favorite things about you,” Stephanie said, as she lifted her chin up and silenced her girlfriend with a scorching kiss, while running her hands along Abigail’s sides and hips. She was rewarded with a soft moan, which only spurred her on further, so she let her hands roam freely underneath Abigail’s blouse, sending shivers up and down the brunette’s spine. Abigail pulled their bodies closer together, moved her hands lower, letting them wander over Stephanie’s hips and ass. _I have no idea how I’m ever going to stop this train from rolling down the tracks, and I’m pretty sure I don’t want to._

When Stephanie snaked both her hands underneath Abigail’s blouse and cupped her lace-clad breasts, Abigail moaned out loud, clearly losing her resolve to take things slowly. Emboldened, Stephanie caressed her lover’s nipples through the fabric of what she was certain was a very sexy bra. She took one of Abigail’s hands and pressed it between her legs, letting the brunette feel her heat and her desire.

“That’s it, Blondie! You get your wish--it’s going down tonight!” Abigail said, draining the rest of her wine glass and pulling Stephanie into the bedroom. 

“Alexa! Play Stevie Nicks' greatest hits!” Stephanie called out over her shoulder, secretly (or not so secretly) thrilled that she’d managed to inflame Abigail’s desire enough to overcome any nagging fears and insecurities. She was ready to ravish the brunette from head to toe, and show her just how much she loved and desired her.


	5. The Wait is Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie shows Abigail how much she cares about her in the most intimate way possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is definitely NOT Hallmark style. I tried to reel myself in, but Abigail has such a smart mouth, and Stephanie is just as cool as a cucumber--they're great foils for each other and I love their banter on the show, and that's what I was going for. But this is way smuttier than Hallmark.

Abigail fell onto the bed and pulled Stephanie down, right on top of her. Stephanie wasted no time and pinned Abigail’s hands over her head while she straddled her. “Damn girl, I never figured you for a top,” Abigail said. “I can’t tell if I’m more impressed or turned on.”

“Hmmm…from the heat radiating up from between your legs, I’m going to say that you’re more turned on," Stephanie said, leaning over and thoroughly kissing Abigail’s neck. “I’ve been waiting for you for a long time, and now that you’re in my bed, I’m not wasting another second. Now, are you going to cooperate, or do I need to tie your hands?”

“Um, I usually save the handcuffs, blindfolds and riding crops for maybe the third or fourth date. I like to start without a lot of accessories to see what raw materials I have to work with,” Abigail said, very amused and very astonished at her lover’s brashness.

“Those are your rules, not mine, but I take your point,” Stephanie said, releasing her arms, and unbuttoning Abigail’s blouse and kissing every bit of exposed skin. Abigail was loving all of the attention, but not wanting to let her friend do all the work, she grabbed the bottom of Stephanie’s sweater and pulled it over her head, revealing a red lacy bra. “You know, when you look at sexy lingerie in a department store, you can’t really get an appreciation of how freaking spectacular it’s going to look—until you see it on someone with the body to carry it off. And you, my dear have exceeded anything my imagination has been able to cook up. Your tits are exquisite! Your mouth…” Stephanie silenced her with a kiss that nearly made her head spin.

“I’m going to go get the ball gag if you do not stop goofing around, Abigail. I’m trying to make beautiful love to you, like I’ve imagined so many nights while I touched myself, and you're doing a stand up routine,” Stephanie said, reaching around to unclasp Abigail’s bra.

“Really?” Abigail said, sitting up in bed so she could better access her girlfriend’s neck, shoulders and delightful cleavage with her tongue. “And what, may I ask, was your favorite, favorite fantasy about you and me?” Abigail whispered, as her hand shot down between Stephanie’s legs and rubbed against her mound, feeling twice the heat she’d felt in the living room when all of this started.

Stephanie peeled Abigail’s blouse and bra off, tossing them to the floor. “Well,” Stephanie said, with her tongue drawing circles around her lover’s nipples, “there’s quite a bit of tit fondling and nipple sucking.”

Abigail moaned loudly and bucked her hips as Stephanie pushed her breasts together and sucked both nipples into her mouth at the same time, sending a jolt of heat right to her center. _Oh my God, she hasn’t even put her hands in my pants and I’m going to come just from her sucking my tits. What the hell took me so long to tell her how I felt?_

“Ummmm…this is awesome and you’re going to make me come in about 20 seconds if you don’t let go of my nipples, missy. So, what’s the next thing you imagine doing to me in your favorite fantasy?” Abigail said, hoping to move Stephanie’s attention elsewhere—preferably between her legs somehow.

Stephanie moved her mouth down lower, slowly unbuttoning and unzipping her lover’s pants with her teeth.

“How did I not know you were a sex goddess?” Abigail said, her eyes dark with lust and her breath coming fast.

“I guess you weren’t paying attention,” she responded, pulling Abigail’s pants off and tossing them on the floor with the rest of her clothing. “So in my fantasy, you’re lying just like this, writhing on your back, desperate for me to eat your pussy.”

“Fuck, yes—that’s the best fantasy I’ve heard since I got here!” Abigail exclaimed. “What’s next! I can barely stand the suspense!”

Stephanie shimmied Abigail’s panties off, and although she was tempted to shove them in her girlfriend’s mouth so that perhaps she might stop joking around for 5 minutes, she of course, resisted. She hooked her arms underneath Abigail’s thighs, and thought she’d quiet her down another way, as she licked, sucked, tasted, and explored every crevice and fold of her pussy. Miraculously, the wise-ass comments stopped, and were replaced with a lot of moaning and encouraging noises. Stephanie’s tongue drank in every bit of Abigail, and did magical things to both of their bodies. Abigail grabbed hold of Stephanie’s hair and pushed her head down while trying not to grind the hell out of her face. She needn’t have bothered as Stephanie took the hint and pulled her hips down so she could be still closer to where her lover needed her to be. She entered her with long strokes of her tongue, which sent Abigail into a chorus of ‘oh my gods’ and ‘yes, yes—like that!’. Stephanie almost chuckled—it was just like she had imagined it would be. Abigail riding her face for all she was worth while she herself feasted upon the nectar of the goddess, her heart full to bursting, as well as a few other parts of her.

Judging by the mewling noises she was hearing from above her head, Stephanie decided that she has prolonged this for about as long as her lover could take. Stephanie shifted one of her arms out from under a thigh and entered her pussy with two fingers. She started fucking her slowly and deliberately, giving Abigail a moment or two to adjust. “Oh, you’re going to need to fuck me harder than that, Blondie,” Abigail said while she picked her head up and propped herself up on her elbows so she could watch the action going on below her. ”Although I must say, watching you in your pretty lace bra, while you fuck me, is pretty amazing.”

Stephanie slid another finger in, braced herself with her left arm on the bed, and proceeded to fuck Abigail hard and fast. Hearing no complaints from above, she kept up the pace and leaned down to capture Abigail’s swollen clit into her mouth and began sucking it rhythmically in time with her thrusts. It took just a few minutes of this intense focus for Abigail to grab onto the sheets, throw her head back and freefall into the most spectacular display of rapture that Stephanie had ever seen. She kept thrusting, and sucking until her lover put her hand on top of her head to still her movements. Stephanie crawled up to lay beside Abigail, her fingers still inside as she felt her walls pulse and squeeze around her hand. After her love had been still for a couple of minutes, and her breath returned to normal, she gently and slowly removed her hand from inside and rested it on top of Abigail’s stomach.

“Nothing to say now, sweetheart?” Stephanie said quietly, running her fingers through her beloved’s hair.”

“Um, no, not really. Except why the hell did we wait so long to do this? I’m kinda ecstatic about all of this and I also want to kick myself for not being brave sooner! No one’s ever made love to me like they really meant it—no one. It’s always about their pleasure, and if I managed to get off too, then that was a bonus. You haven’t even taken your fucking pants off yet, and yet you’ve made me feel more special and more loved than I ever have before.”

“Well, I do love you, and you’re very precious to me,” Stephanie said, holding Abigail closer. “And I may still have my pants on, but they are embarrassingly soaked, so it’s not like I wasn’t having a good time too.”

“Did you come while you were eating me? That’s seriously hot, Borden,” Abigail said, as she rolled over on top of her girlfriend and pressed her hand against the outside of her jeans. “Holy crap, your pants are literally soaked down to the knees! This is the most incredible turn on,” she said as she unbuttoned Stephanie’s jeans and peeled the wet fabric down, past her hips and thighs. Tossing the pants to the floor, she stopped for a moment to admire her lover’s luscious, sexy body. “Wow I’m lucky. You’re all mine, and you are officially off the market!”

“You’re still talking too much Abigail,” Stephanie said with the patience of a saint. "Don’t you think you might find something better to do with your mouth than talk right now? You’ve got a very hot, very wet, very turned on woman lying down in bed with you, and you’re still talking.”


	6. Abigail and Stephanie Break the Fourth Wall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More sexy-time.

Previously, in Stephanie's bed:

_“You’re still talking too much Abigail,” Stephanie said with the patience of a saint. Don’t you think you might find something better to do with your mouth than talk right now? You’ve got a very hot, very wet, very turned on woman lying down in bed with you, and you’re still talking.”_

And now, in this episode:

“Shutting up, now,” Abigail said, as she made her way inside Stephanie’s wet panties, sliding her fingers through the crevice where all the wetness was coming from. Her girlfriend was ridiculously aroused, and ready to come with the slightest attention. Not willing to let her first time with Stephanie end after a couple minutes, she removed her fingers and brought them to her mouth, moaning as her lover’s taste covered her tongue. She brought her head down and made love to Stephanie’s mouth, demanding and passionate, and like it was the last kiss she would ever have. Abigail had waited so long for this—she’d imagined kissing Stephanie just like this, for hours on end. She continued the kiss, sliding her hands down the blonde’s back to unhook her bra and toss it off the bed. Her head moved down, kissing her way along Stephanie’s jawline, to her neck, until she reached Stephanie’s breasts. She took one nipple into her mouth, drawing it into her mouth and sucking on it—hard—causing Stephanie’s back to arch, and a gasp escaped her mouth. Stephanie put both of her arms around Abigail’s body and pulled her close, wanting to feel every inch of her skin covering hers. Stephanie raked her fingernails up and down her girlfriend’s back, as Abigail continued to suck first one, then her other nipple. Abigail was laser focused on paying complete attention to her girlfriend’s tits, and spent a lot of time trying to build and fan the flames of arousal. But after a few minutes of hearing nothing from Stephanie, and sensing her movements had slowed down, Abigail was confused. _Maybe she really did come while she was eating me—she’s awfully quiet,_ Abigail thought.

Abigail’s head lifted and she watched Stephanie’s even breathing, with her eyes closed and her mouth slightly opened. Abigail stopped everything for a minute, and was relieved when Stephanie’s head popped up. “What’s wrong? Why did you stop?” Stephanie asked frowning.

“You were so quiet—I—I thought maybe you fell asleep or something.”

“You mean because I haven’t started begging you to fuck me yet?” Stephanie asked, her eyebrow arched as she glared at Abigail.

“Something like that, yes,” Abigail said. “I mean, by now, I would have begged, pulled your head down, grabbed your hand and put it where I wanted it to be, and if all else failed, I would have gotten myself off with my own hand.”

“It’s called patience. I figured since this is your first time with a woman, you might need a little time to get your courage up and get more adventurous ‘down below’ so to speak,” Stephanie said.

“I was hoping my lack of experience wouldn’t be so noticeable,” Abigail confessed. “I’m really sorry for making a mess of this. I should have told you I hadn’t been with a woman, but, well, you know how I am—I bluster my way through things because I never like admitting I don’t know something. And you seemed to really know what you were doing, so I got intimidated. And then when you weren’t really moving around or moaning, I didn’t know what was wrong and I suspected it was me and that I was boring you. I suck.”

“Everything is fine, Abigail--really—I’m enjoying myself,” Stephanie said. I love the way your skin feels on mine. I love the way you kiss me—like you’re kissing me with your whole soul. It’s breathtaking,” Stephanie said truthfully.

“But,” Abigail said, “When I moved down to your breasts, you seemed like you were into it for minute or two, but then I think I lost you. And I didn’t realize it until way past where you got bored.”

“I liked it a lot. It felt nice, but it wasn’t, you know, doing it for me. I honestly thought you’d move on to something else a lot sooner.”

“Ok, duly noted. But here’s the thing, sweetness. We already know that we really, really need to work on our communication skills—we both suck at it. So lets change that right now--especially in bed. I’ll learn your body's responses in time, as you said, but now? Not a clue. And what you want today, may not be the same as tomorrow.”

“God I hope not!” Stephanie said, shuddering. “I like to keep things interesting—and you’re absolutely right—how will you know the kinds of things I want if I don’t tell you—and vice versa? Ok, now I feel like a dope.”

“Don’t,” Abigail said. "And in the spirit of moving forward, how the hell are we going to rescue this romantic encounter from this dreadful, unnecessary and tedious dialogue that the writer has seen fit to torture us with. Here we were, racing towards an amazing, non-Hallmark, sexy encounter, and all of a sudden, the writer decides to throw a generous handful of lesbian angst right in the middle of our bed, in the middle of our lovemaking. I cry foul!”

“So let’s wrestle the pen away from the lonely, bitter, fanfic writer who decided to punish us because she’s having a bad day, and write the rest of the scene ourselves,” Stephanie said.

“Who needs a pen?” Abigail said, kissing her way down Stephanie’s body, stopping just as her head hovered over her pussy. _I will be damned if some fucking fanfic writer wrecks the scene where I make love to Stephanie for the first time—I’m taking matters into my own hands—the writer may have had a point about the communication bit, though_ , Abigail thought. _We do need to work on that._

“What’s your pleasure, Madame? Would you like me to lick you, or would you like me to fuck you—or would you like a combo platter?” Abigail asked.

“Decisions, decisions…” Stephanie said thoughtfully. “Let’s start off with you inside me, and see how that goes. I’ve been staring at your hands for months wondering how they would feel all over my body, but especially inside me.”

“Your wish, is my command, my lady,” Abigail said as she kneeled on the bed straddling one of Stephanie’s legs and let her fingers roam through the folds of sensitive skin that were mercifully still soaking wet. Touching Stephanie intimately was an incredible turn on—well beyond anything her imagination had been able to conjure up on her own. As her arousal overcame her nervousness, she circled Stephanie’s entrance with two fingers, before slipping inside. She watched, as Stephanie arched her back and moaned her approval, as her fingers continued to thrust in and out of her incredibly hot, wet pussy, while her palm was hitting her clit in just the right way.

“Put another finger inside—and suck my clit,” Stephanie said, her breath coming hard and fast.

Without missing a stroke, Abigail added a third finger, climbed off of Stephanie’s thigh—now coated with the brunette’s arousal—and leaned down to capture her clit between her lips.

“Ohhhhhhhh…that’s really niiiiicccce,” Stephanie moaned, as Abigail continued to fuck her, harder and faster now, while she licked her clit in strong strokes.

“That’s it, baby—I’m close—don’t stop, please,” Stephanie begged and with just a few more licks and strokes, her body tensed and she let out a cry that Abigail hoped she would hear often—and for a very long time. Abigail slowed down, while Stephanie enjoyed every blissful moment of pleasure, until she finally stilled Abigail’s hand by pulling her up to lay beside her. Abigail cradled her lover in her arms, marveling at how amazing it felt to make love to Stephanie after all the waiting, angst and the worry.

“Better?” Abigail asked, stroking her lover’s back with feather-light touches.

“Much,” Stephanie said crawling as close to Abigail’s body as she could. “How about you?” she asked as her hand found its way to Abigail’s very wet pussy and began circling her clit.

“Well, I could go again…it feels like a week since you last touched me,” Abigail said, spreading her legs to give her lover better access, and melting at the magic in her fingertips.

“Oh you! It hasn't even been an hour!” Stephanie teased, dipping her head down to take one of Abigail’s nipples into her mouth. Abigail was so aroused from touching Stephanie, that she climaxed within just a few minutes, relief and pleasure flooding her body in a giant wave.

Stephanie pulled the covers over their bodies, and kissed Abigail tenderly. “I love you, Abigail Pershing. And I’m so happy I get to sleep with you in my arms all night.”

“I love you too, Stephanie. And I’m really afraid to ask this question, but do you have to get up at the crack of dawn tomorrow?”

“As a matter of fact, I do—sort of. I set everything up before I left last night, so I can sleep in until 6:30ish,” Stephanie replied.

“I can’t promise that I won’t make it really, really hard for you to get out of this bed,” Abigail said smiling.

“I would expect nothing less from you,” Stephanie said. “Good night, sweetheart.

“Good night Steph,” Abigail replied, squeezing her lover tightly for a long moment as they closed their eyes and drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently, during this chapter, I took the girls someplace that I KNEW I SHOULDN'T, but in fairness, Hallmark is Hallmark and I am me, and we don't think the same. I throw monkey wrenches into plots--I add weird obstacles that shouldn't be there, and I make things messy with real feelings. However, I always let the characters talk to me and take me wherever they need to go, and in the middle of the chapter, they felt the need to break the fourth wall, mostly because they didn't care for the direction I took them, and they really let me know about it. Abigail, in particular, used her sharp tongue to hurl a few insults at me. The fourth wall is a theatrical device where the character starts talking to the audience, and it is used in fiction as well. So, here we are.


	7. Abigail Dreams about Stevie Nicks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's still their first night sleeping together as lovers, and an erotic dream has gotten Abigail all wound up again.

Abigail woke up a few hours later, from a very erotic dream where she and Stephanie were invited back stage to meet Stevie Nicks, and it was just the three of them alone together in Stevie’s dressing room. And then one thing led to another, and Abigail was on her knees, worshipping Stevie's most holy temple, while Stephanie was holding Stevie up from behind, kissing her neck and massaging her breasts. Stevie exuded ‘high priestess’ vibes, and Abigail had the feeling in her dream that it was like a religious experience, and she remembers being so happy that she was able to share that with Stephanie.

So it was not surprising that upon waking from that dream, Abigail found herself incredibly wet and very turned on. And with the way that Stephanie’s arms were holding her, she couldn’t get her hand down to the place that really needed some attention now if she ever hoped to get back to sleep. Feeling slightly guilty and a little wicked, Abigail took one of Stephanie’s hands that was currently wrapped around her body, and guided it down between her legs, making sure to run Stephanie’s fingers through her wet folds for a few moments.

“Mmmmmm…really Abigail?” Stephanie mumbled, smiling into her girlfriend’s neck.

“Really sweetheart. You either have to let go of my right arm so I can take care of this myself, or…”

“Or, I can take care of you personally,” Stephanie said, interrupting Abigail, and rolling her body to face her so she could get two fingers into her pussy. “How are you so turned on again? Did you have a dream?” Stephanie asked, amazed, as she nibbled on her girlfriend’s neck.

“Hey, who’s the Merriwick here?” Abigail asked, her back arching in pleasure.

“Tell me,” Stephanie whispered, as she continued to fuck Abigail, adding a third finger to double the pleasure and bring Abigail off quicker. _I could stay locked up in here with her for a week and we would both still be insatiable,_ Stephanie thought. _But work starts early, and I need to be up in another two hours, so a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do._

“We were backstage with Stevie Nicks, and I was licking her pussy and you were holding her from behind, and oh my god, just keep doing that!” Abigail said as she wrestled one of her hands free and began to stroke her clit rapidly while Stephanie continued to fuck her magically.

Just as she was ready to fall over the edge and into her bliss, Stephanie bit her shoulder—hard, and the orgasm ripped through Abigail like white hot lightening.

“Mmmmmmm,’ Abigail said, turning her head to kiss Stephanie. “That was awesome, sweetheart. You really know how to take care of a girl when she’s in desperate need.”

“Really?” Stephanie said, rolling over so that Abigail could hold her from behind. “There’s someone else in desperate need of some sleep, but now I’m all turned on from fucking you in the middle of the night because of Stevie Nicks, and well, now there’s another desperate need that takes precedence over the sleep thing.”

“I’m on it, babe, Abigail said, as she pulled her body as close to Stephanie’s as possible, and slid her hand right to where she knew her lover needed her. Stephanie was such a generous lover, it was literally, the very least she could do for her. Abigail slid two fingers in and rapidly pumped in and out, while she kissed Stephanie’s shoulders and neck. “That’s good sweetheart—like that,” Stephanie panted, as she reached down to stroke her clit to keep pace with her racing heartbeat. Within another minute, Stephanie fell over the edge and felt Abigail’s arms holding her tightly while she enjoyed the last moments of pleasure.

“Good night, my love,” Abigail said sweetly.

“Good night, sweetheart. Do you think you might be able to hang on for the next round until the alarm goes off?” Stephanie said, teasing.

“Absolutely,” Abigail promised. "Sweet dreams."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea how to get these two out of bed, lol...I'm trying to figure it out--I mean, they both have to go to work in the morning, so there's that. Thanks for reading.


	8. Grace Knows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grace's spidey sense figures out what Stephanie's not saying.

The next morning, Stephanie floated around the Bistro, humming _Landslide_ , making lattes, slicing cake, offering a kind word and a cheerful thought here and there, and, well, just being Stephanie. She hardly got any sleep the night before, but her energy was still at a level 3 Red Bull.

“Hi Stephanie!” Grace Russel said as she made her way to the front of the counter. “You look….amazing! What’s different?”

“Can’t a girl just be happy, Grace?” Stephanie said smiling at the younger version of Cassie. _She knows._

“Well of course a girl can be happy—speaking of happy girls, have you seen my cousin this morning?” Grace said with a mischievous smile.

“Abigail hasn’t been in for coffee yet,” Stephanie said evasively.

“That’s not quite what I asked,” Grace said.

“She answered your question, Grace, and if you’re looking for me, here I am,” Abigail said as she appeared right behind her cousin.

“Abigail! There you are! I wanted to make sure you and Stephanie are coming to Grey House on Saturday for Mom’s birthday. It’s a small thing—she just wants family there.”

“Hey, I don’t have to come if it’s just family,” Stephanie said quickly.

“But you are family!” Abigail and Grace said in unison. “Seriously, Steph. I want you there,” Abigail said. “We need to tell the family since this little pitcher has already figured us out.”

“Figured what out?” Grace asked innocently.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about, and if you would do me a personal favor, please keep it to yourself—ok?” Abigail asked, giving Grace the older-sister death stare.

“Does mom know?”

“I need to tell her officially, but her spidey sense is better than yours so of course she knows. But I want to be the one to tell her. She’s earned it.”

“Amen, sister,” Stephanie said. “She talked me off the ledge while I was pining over you more than once.”

“Really? I’m going to need to hear more about that, but for now, please get Grace whatever she wants--it's on me. I’m feeling generous today. It’s also a bribe, kid, so make sure you don’t say a word,” Abigail warned.

“Know what? I don’t know anything,” Grace deadpanned. “But can I just say how amazingly happy I am for you two and I called this months ago. I think you balance each other’s energy perfectly, and you’re both smoking hot, so you’re a shoe-in for the Middleton most romantic couple award.”

“Slow your roll, Russell,” Abigail admonished. We just made it official last night, so we’re not anyone’s most romantic couple—yet. And plus, who’s ever going to beat Cassie and Sam?”

“She has a point, Grace,” Stephanie said. “And honestly, it’s super new, so we just want to focus on getting to know more about each other on another level.”

It took all of Abigail’s self-restraint not to make a risqué comment about focusing on another level with Stephanie. _I'm going to have to reel myself in somehow--not quite sure how that's going to happen._ In the time it took for her to get her courage up to tell Stephanie how she felt, she had developed an extensive library of mental fantasies involving every surface of the bistro, and one of her favorites was stuck in her head at the moment.

Stephanie handed Grace her hot chocolate. “Thanks Stephanie—and thanks Abigail for treating,” Grace said.

“You’re welcome. Now get to school. I need to talk to Stephanie about something in private,” Abigail said.

“Ok—I’ll see you guys tomorrow night for the birthday party. And mom doesn’t want presents. She wants everyone to write down their favorite shared memory with her,” Grace explained.

“Got it—favorite memory, no presents. But flowers don’t count as a present, so I’ll make sure she has a beautiful bouquet in honor of the day she was born,” Abigail replied.

“Can I bring anything? Stephanie asked Grace as she was making her way out the door. “Nick and I are making the cake together, so a back up plan might not be a bad idea," Grace said smiling, her hand on the door handle to leave. "But knowing mom, she won't care what it looks like, or tastes like--just as long as it's made with love.”

The two women were alone for the moment, and all of the diners were set at the moment with whatever they might need. “Steph, can you get someone to cover the front for you? I need to talk with you—can we go to your office?”

“Sure thing, sweetheart,” Stephanie said, motioning for Flora to take charge of the front. “I’ll be in my office, but I’m sure you can handle whatever comes up. Come on back with me Abigail.”

They walked back through the kitchen and into Stephanie’s office which was tastefully decorated with a desk, computer, floor lamp, couch and side table with another lamp. The walls had pictures of the Bistro over the years. Abigail had been in Stephanie’s office many times before, but not as her girlfriend. Stephanie closed the door and flipped the lock, looking at her girlfriend expectantly. Abigail was on her in a second, pushing her firmly up against the door while she pressed her body close and captured her lips in a sizzling hot kiss that lasted until Stephanie needed to come up for air. Abigail moved her mouth lower, raining kisses down on her neck and shoulders. “Mmmm…I never really had a true appreciation of the boat-neck collar but this is really working for me.”

“You are insatiable—you know that, don’t you?” Stephanie said with mock sternness as Abigail’s hiked her skirt up and slipped her hand underneath. 

“Pot, meet kettle,” Abigail said, kneeling down to remove Stephanie’s very pretty black lace panties, and tossing them to the side. “This is really what I wanted for breakfast,” Abigail said as she spread Stephanie’s legs apart and dove into her very hot, very wet pussy. She ran her tongue from the bottom of Stephanie’s slit to the top, and stayed there, taking her clit into her mouth and sucking it. “Please!” Stephanie said, and Abigail got the message, thrusting three fingers into her pussy and fucking her while she continued to suck her clit. Stephanie put her arm over her mouth to try to squelch the scream that threatened to rip from her throat. “I’m already there, baby—I can’t wait,” Stephanie said, spurring Abigail to fuck her double time, sending her right over the edge and into a state of orgasmic bliss. Abigail stood up quickly, wrapping her arm around Stephanie to hold her up, gently removed her fingers, and brought them to her girlfriend’s mouth for a taste. “How come I taste better on your fingers than on mine?” Stephanie asked.

“It’s that Merriwick magic. It makes everything taste better,” Abigail quipped as Stephanie pulled her in for a long, hot and very passionate kiss and led her over to the couch. “How come you’re not wearing one of your skin tight dresses that I love so much?” Stephanie asked, as she unbuttoned and unzipped Abigail’s pants, pulling them off and laying them on the back of her chair to keep them from getting wrinkled. While she did that, Abigail pulled her sweater over her head and tossed it in the vicinity of her pants. “I like the sound when you pull down my zipper,” Abigail said and groaned out loud as Stephanie slide three fingers inside of her, while grinding her clit with her thumb. Abigail was so turned on, she came fast and hard, her body tensing, holding and then finally releasing, while she kept Stephanie’s fingers gripped inside of her. “Oh that was too fast—you’re going to have to give me something better than that,” Stephanie said as she continued to fuck Abigail, slowly at first, but making sure to hit her G-spot with every thrust. She dipped her head down to capture Abigail’s clit in her mouth and began licking it with the flat part of the tongue taking care not to overstimulate her so soon after her last orgasm.

“Stephanie, there is going to be a big fucking mess all over this couch if you keep that up,” Abigail warned.

“So what? Stephanie said, grabbing a thick throw from the back of the couch. “Lift your hips up sweetheart, and we’ll get this blanked underneath you so you can feel free to let go when you need to." Abigail had been trying to hold back the flood that collected inside of her as Stephanie continued to pound her G-spot because she didn’t want to make an embarrassing mess. But as soon as she felt the blanket under her ass and protecting the couch somewhat, she begged Stephanie to fuck her harder as she felt an incredible amount of pressure built up inside her pussy. She held on as long as she could and finally, unable to hold back another second, her muscles involuntarily pushed Stephanie’s hand out, allowing her to release a flood of wetness onto the blanket. Stephanie watched in awe as the fluid kept flowing in great quantities from her lover’s pussy. “Back in—there’s more,” Abigail said, gasping. Without a moment’s hesitation, Stephanie plunged her fingers back in, pounding Abigail’s G-spot as fast and as hard as she could. She waited for the tell-tale signs that Abigail was ready to release again, and just at that right moment, she quickly pulled out, allowing Abigail to produce an even more impressive gush of wetness. Little did Abigail know, but Stephanie had a huge kink for squirting—to her, it felt like it was Christmas morning and she just got the present she’d wanted for a very long time. When the flow slowed down, Abigail placed Stephanie’s hand on top of her clit. Stephanie rubbed it hard, and watched in fascination as more fluid continued to flow. Soon, she felt Abigail’s body stiffen and hover for a few moments before her hips bucked up to meet her fingers and she groaned in satisfaction and Stephanie managed to blow her mind a once again in her office. “Fuck, you are amazing, Stephanie! I am never letting you go,” Abigail said, as her breathing slowed and her heart returned to a more normal pace.

“Awww…you sweet talker. Now I really hate to be a kill-joy, but I have a restaurant to run, and you have a flower shop to open,” she said as she helped Abigail sit up. She retrieved Abigail’s clothes and helped her get dressed, stealing kisses now and then and drawing out the process.

“If you’re in such a hurry, why are you taking your sweet time” Abigail asked, smirking.

“Because you are so hot and I want to spend every day fucking you like this, every chance I get.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Abigail said, pulling the rest of her clothes on and checking herself in the mirror. “I look like I’ve just been fucked really well, and I don’t think I’ve ever looked better. I love you so much, Stephanie Borden,” she said, leaning in for one last kiss. “See you tonight?” Abigail asked.

“Absolutely—your place or mine.”

“Yours. I’ll pick up take out so we can keep our strength up. I'm not letting you out a bed long enough to boil an egg."

“And I’ll pick up some Gatorade,” Stephanie said. “Lord knows you are going to have to rehydrate. You lost a lot of fluid.”

“Yeah, it’s a thing I do,” Abigail said shyly. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Mind? It’s my favorite fantasy, and you just made one of my dreams come true."

“Really? Because I love it—I just have never shared this with anyone else."

“I feel honored. Now get up and get your ass out of this office now. I’ll leave in a few minutes so it doesn’t look like we’ve been fucking for half an hour in my office.”

“I’m sure everyone’s figured it out, but I’ll play it your way,” Abigail said as she gazed once more at her beautiful lover and exited the office.

 _This is going to be very interesting for the next few months while we burn this fire down to a more manageable level,_ Stephanie thought as she tidied her office. _But oh what an amazing few months we shall have!_


	9. Telling Cassie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abigail gets a helping-hand and a sympathetic ear from Cassie.

Abigail hurried from the Bistro to her flower shop. Today’s opening would be just a tad late, but she wasn’t worried. _It’s not like there’s a line of people waiting to get in,_ Abigail thought as she rounded the corner. To her surprise, there were actually several people waiting for the shop to open, and there was a delivery truck waiting to unload the latest order. _Fuck…not good, but still not sorry._

“Do you need a hand this morning?” Cassie ask as she materialized right at the moment Abigail needed her. “You look a little frazzled.’

“You’re a life saver, Cassie. Come on in with me, and we’ll get the shop opened, and maybe you can help the few customers that have been patiently waiting, while I get Harry set with the delivery.

“You got it,” Cassie said with a sweet smile.

It took just a few minutes to unlock the door, turn the lights on, and unlock the cash register for Cassie. “Need anything else, or are you ok for a few minutes?” Abigail asked.

“I think I can manage, thanks.”

“Great—I’ll see you soon. Oh, and by the way, I think the gentleman is here to pick up an order he placed last night which I put together already and it’s in the walk-in cooler. The two women behind him are going to ask about flowers for their garden club meeting, and the young man at the end is here to buy chocolates for his girlfriend,” Abigail said.

“You know all of that and you haven’t ever met any of these people,” Cassie said. “I’m really impressed, Abigail.”

“You do the exact same thing at the Bell, Book and Candle, so why are you surprised? It’s that Merriwick magic helping us stay one step ahead of life—at least sometimes,” Abigail chuckled. “Now, I’m really going to deal with the delivery, so carry on.”

Cassie made quick work of the customers, and Abigail was indeed correct about what each of the waiting customers wanted—except for the young man buying chocolates—they were for his boyfriend, not his girlfriend.

“I’m back,” Abigail said, taking her coat off finally and leaning over to kiss Cassie’s cheek.

“What was that for?” Cassie asked. “Not that I’m complaining, but I don’t usually get a kiss this early in the morning from you.”

“It's a thank you for being so supportive of me, and for encouraging me to share my feelings with Stephanie. You were right. Our friendship is strong enough to figure this out."

"You talked with Stephanie already--that's great. How did it go?" Cassie asked.

Abigail plopped herself down on one of the stools behind the counter. “It was magical. I made this special bouquet for her, which was helpful, because I got tongue tied and ended up using the symbolism of each flower to let her know how I felt about her.”

“Abigail, that’s the sweetest thing ever! I am so proud of you for sharing your feelings with her! How did she take it?”

“Well, it seems she was planning on having the same conversation with me last night as well. She had found a poem that she thought said everything that she wanted to say, and she read it to me. It was really beautiful and it made me cry."

“Wow—looks like me and Sam have some competition for the Middleton Most Romantic Couple award,” Cassie said laughing. “Which is great, because we’ve won it a couple of times in a row, and we need new blood to take over.”

“You sound exactly like Grace!” Abigail chuckled. “And I really wanted to tell you first, because without you coaching us both off the ledge, we never would have gotten together. But of course, Grace figured it out the minute she saw Stephanie’s face at the Bistro—I bribed her with hot chocolate to keep it to herself, because I wanted to tell you myself, and to let you know how much it means to me that you support me and love me no matter who I choose to have a relationship with.” Abigail stood up and hugged Cassie and treated her other cheek to a kiss. “That kiss was for balance—I didn’t want your other cheek to get jealous.”

“Balance is important in all things,” Cassie said smiling. “So you revealed your feelings—then what—I need details. You looked a little...interesting this morning!”

Abigail blushed. “Well, believe it or not, I was on the take it slow and steady train, but Miss Stephanie boarded the “we've waiting long enough train." I think she's had feelings for me at least as long as I have for her, if not longer. Anyway, she talked me into slow dancing with her in her living room to Stevie Nicks…”

“Rhiannon?” Cassie asked.

“Or course—it’s like the Merriwick theme song, isn’t it?” Abigail said chuckling. “Then one thing led to another and she managed to convince me that we’d already been spending all of our time together and gone on a ton of dinner dates, so why should we wait to…you know…”

“Become intimate with each other?” Cassie said.

“Exactly. She said she’d wait if I really wanted to, but then she got handsy with me, and I’d had quite a bit of wine to drink because I was nervous so….well….the slow and steady train has fallen off the track, and we are on the Acela to Romanceville.”

Cassie took Abigail’s hands in hers and looked directly into her eyes. “Abigail, I could not be happier for you. If anyone deserves to have a wonderful, romantic, passionate love, it’s you. Stephanie is probably one of the kindest people I’ve ever met, and she’s beautiful and smart, and she loves you like I’ve never seen anyone love you—and I’ve seen that parade of men that have been following you around the last couple of years like a pack of wild dogs.”

Abigail laughed out loud. “Hey now—that’s a little harsh, isn’t it?”

“No, it’s not. You treated the majority of them like crap, and yet they kept circling around you, waiting for another turn. This is going to be different for you. I think you’ve finally chosen to invest in someone who is your equal,” Cassie said. “And I for one, am thrilled! When are you going to tell the family?”

“At your birthday party, if that’s ok with you. Grace invited us both and since Grace knows, and you know, that means Sam knows, so it’s really only telling Nick and George.”

“And you never know what surprise visitor might show up,” Cassie said.

“Did you invite my father?” Abigail said, looking concerned.

“Not without your permission. I would never do that to you,” Cassie said, squeezing Abigail’s hand.

“You really do know me so well. It’s amazing that even though we aren’t actually sisters, you sure feel like one to me.”

“Back at you, Abigail.”

“Let’s put Arthur Pershing on the shelf for now. I can just tell him the next time I talk with him, or maybe I’ll take Stephanie up to visit sometime and make it more special for him.”

“That sounds like a lovely idea,” Cassie said. “Well, I better go open up my shop—it’s almost 10 already. Will I see you later tonight at home?”

“No, I’ve got a date, and it’s a sleepover,” Abigail said slightly blushing.

“Look at you, being all shy,” Cassie said. “I like this side of Abigail. You two have waited an awfully long time to admit your feelings to each other, and you’ve put so many obstacles in your own way. I’m sure that’s led to a lot of intense, powerful feelings that have come to the forefront. But I’m sure you both know how to handle those, and if you don’t, you’re a fast learner.”

“Hey, are you referring to my lack of experience with women? Did Stephanie say anything to you?”

“No, why would she? And how would I know if you had experience with women or not? It’s not like it’s come up in conversation,” Cassie said.

“That’s true, but while we’re on the subject, do you have experience with women sexually?” Abigail asked, truly curious.

“Saved by the bell,” Cassie said and a moment later, the door chimed as Martha Tinsdale floated into the shop, with a list a mile long and a big order for Abigail to fill.

“We’ll be picking that conversation up later, Cassie,” Abigail said as she put on her best smile, and said, “Martha! You look lovely today! How can I help you?”

“Martha, it’s lovely to see you and if you’ll both excuse me, I need to go open my shop. Have a lovely day!” Cassie said as she left the shop and walked down Main Street towards the Bell, Book and Candle. _I am so glad those two finally figured it out before I had to go dig out one of Elizabeth Merriwick’s spell books and find a love charm for them. And boy are they in for some fun—I can feel the heightened sexual energy free floating around Abigail, and I’ll bet it’s the same with Stephanie—Grace picked up on that right away. I’m just so happy for both of them. Maybe they can finally settle down, enjoy being in love, and build their own family—making ours all the richer._

Cassie arrived at her store, entered through the back, and unlocked the front door from the inside, flipping the sign from Closed to Open. _This is going to be a very interesting few months,_ Cassie thought, smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I managed a chapter with only one swear, and it's an internal monologue swear from Abigail, so, well....
> 
> I also managed a chapter without the girls throwing each other up against the wall and going for another round. I don't know if that will delight or disappoint, but this is where we are in the story. I do like the relationship between Cassie and Abigail, so I wanted to bring that in--and I just couldn't have a swear pass Cassie's lips. Even I have some restraint.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading. I hope you enjoy.


	10. Jade and Patience Merriwick Visit Abigail's Flower Shop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abigail's gift of communicating with spirits is developing at a rapid pace.

Abigail worked for most of the day on Martha’s big order—thanks to her Merriwick magic, she already ordered the flowers that she needed, so they were on hand. Martha was always impressed that Abigail, just like Cassie, always seemed to have just what she was looking for, before she even knew what it was that she wanted. And that’s why people keep coming back to the Merriwick’s for more.

The shop was relatively quiet, and when she put the last of the arrangements in the walk-in for delivery tomorrow, she turned around to go back into the store and was startled by how cold the air felt. She walked over to the thermostat and saw that it hadn’t changed from the 72 degree setting she usually kept it on. Then she felt a presence. This person felt different than her mom did, but still somehow familiar.

Abigail locked the door to the shop and flipped the closed sign. _If this is going to be my new power, I need to take every opportunity to practice._ She walked all around the store, trying to feel the changes in temperature and anything else that seemed out of place. As she walked more towards the chocolate counter, it was colder than it was by the door. So she closed her eyes and focused her energy and attention towards the source of the cold temperature. She stood silently, trying very hard to feel something—anything, but she just felt cold. Just as she was ready to give up and had opened her eyes, she felt something brush her hair out of her face. She turned quickly and saw the image of a beautiful woman—one she’d seen before in pictures.

“You’re Cassie’s mom, Jade!” Abigail exclaimed.

“Yes, dear. Thank you for making the time to make contact with me,” Jade replied warmly. “You look so much like your mother, and I know how very proud she is of you.”

Abigail felt emotion well up in her throat, but tried to control it. She understood that it was challenging for spirits to break through to this realm and communicate—she didn’t want to make it harder for Jade by inserting her own emotions and blocking her energy.

“It was so good to talk with her yesterday. I really needed her no-nonsense advice,” Abigail admitted.

“Well, she and I, and indeed, the whole line of Merriwick women, are delighted that you’ve inherited the gift of mediumship. It seems that you have clairvoyance, clairaudience, and clairsentience at the moment, but don’t be surprised if other “clairs” pop up.

“Did we have any other mediums in the family, Aunt Jade?”

“Yes dear. Patience was probably the first known Merriwick medium. People used to travel great distances to consult with her so she could help them contact their loved ones in the spirit realm,” Jade explained. “And now we have you to carry on the tradition. Patience actually told me that Cassie has some books in her collection that will help you, and that she kept a journal of her spirit communication work which I think you also guide you on your journey. It’s in one of the old trunks in Cassie’s attic.”

“This is amazing, Aunt Jade! I will take any and all help and advice in figuring out this new gift of mine. Now how can I help you? I’m assuming you didn’t come here just to talk with me,” Abigail said.

“Well, you are the only Merriwick that I can communicate with at the moment, so you’re my preferred messenger,” Jade explained. “And it’s my daughter’s birthday on Saturday, and I want you to do something for me—for us.”

“Absolutely—anything. It would be my honor,” Abigail said.

“I want you to arrange a time when you two can be quiet and undisturbed for 30 minutes—45 tops. I’m going to communicate to her through you, using you as my channel.”

“What? I mean, isn’t that like a level 4 mediumship class or something?” Abigail exclaimed. “I can’t possibly bring you to Cassie—if I screw it up, I’ll never forgive myself.”

Abigail felt a second presence joining Jade. In her mind’s eye, she saw a beautiful woman, with hair the color of a raven, and intense green eyes, wearing clothes from the 1800’s. “Is that you, Patience?” Abigail asked.

“Good girl, Abigail! You are coming into your gifts marvelously!” Patience said, praising her great, great, great, great, niece. “I just knew it was time for a Merriwick Medium to make her appearance.”

Abigail put her hands on the counter for stability. She was feeling very floaty and light-headed. _This is all a bit much, but I can’t send them away,_ she thought. _I know how hard it is for them to come through—the least I can do is stay with them._

“You’re fine Abigail—you’re just feeling ungrounded. I want you to sit down for a moment, plant your feet firmly on the floor, and imagine there is a rope running from the top of your head, down through the floor, through the earth, and down to its core. When you can see that, tie your rope around the center of the earth, and then come on back up. You’ll feel more anchored while we do this work,” Patience explained.

Abigail visualized the rope, tying it to the center of the earth, and feeling her feet planted firmly to the ground. When she felt better, she stood up, feeling completely normal.

“That’s much better,” Abigail said. “Now, why are you here instead of Aunt Jade, and where did she go? I can still feel her around me, she’s just not saying anything.”

“She’s still here—I just jumped the line, because I heard you inserting all sorts of doubts about what Jade asked you to do. First of all, YOU DO NOT DO THIS. The only way you can properly communicate with spirits is to stay out of the way. It is a three-way communication between the spirit, which will be Jade, the messenger, which is you, and the recipient of the message, which will be Cassie. You’re an intermediary, and you cannot do your job if the spirit and the recipient don’t do theirs. So take your ego out of it. Mediumship requires a level of humility. Hmmm…you might need to work on that a bit, my child,” Patience said with a bit of humor in her voice.

 _Ha ha…my aunt who’s been dead for two centuries has jokes_ , Abigail thought. “So what you came to tell me is that I can absolutely do what Aunt Jade asked me to. She wants me to sit with Cassie so she can talk to her--through me.”

“That’s right. And you can do it. I will admit, it may seem too soon to you. But you didn’t just become a medium overnight. You were born this way. You were just blocking your own gifts. When you finally became ready to put all your pretenses aside and live authentically—that made all the difference and allowed you to communicate with your mother yesterday.” Patience said.

“What do you mean? I wasn’t living a life of pretense…oh, yes I was. I’ve known I’ve been different since I was a child. I just never wanted people to think that I loved women, so I hid behind a parade of men, just to prove to the world just how straight I was.”

“And then you met Stephanie, and you couldn’t pretend anymore, could you dear?” Patience said kindly.

“No. I mean, I tried for awhile, but from the moment I set eyes on her, I knew I loved her. I fought really hard against it, but I’m so glad I got the courage to tell her how I felt. And my mom and Cassie helped me understand that it was ok to trust love—that love was always going to win in the long run,” Abigail said. “So it was me who was keeping me from I was blocking my gifts.”

“Yes, and now they are unblocked, and they may slam into you fast and furiously. Combine that with all of the sexual energy coursing through your veins and…”

“Aunt Patience!” Abigail said. “Isn’t that a little intimate? Have you been spying on us?”

“No dear, but even though I’m dead, I can feel your energy and it is vibrant, and alive, and a spectacular multi-colored palette. It’s nothing to be ashamed of in the slightest. If anything, it will help your mediumship and make it more intense.”

“All right,” said Abigail. “Tell me what I need to do to make Jade’s wish come true—and help her give Cassie the best birthday present ever.”


	11. Catching Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abigail returns to Stephanie's house for dinner and a sleep over 🌹😉

Abigail rang the bell, and waited for Stephanie to answer the door. It took an extra minute or two, and she was about to ring again, when a breathless Stephanie opened the door wearing nothing but a towel.

“So this is how tonight’s going to go, eh?” Abigail said, a smile hijacking her lips.

“Well, probably, but that’s not why I answered in a towel,” Stephanie said, depositing a quick kiss on her lover’s lips and turning around to retreat to her bedroom. “You caught me in the shower—I’ll just be 10 minutes.” Stephanie called. “And don’t follow me in here and try to rip my towel off and have your way with me. I’m really hungry, and I can smell the Thai food from here.”

“All right,” Abigail grumbled. “I’ll deal with the take out and will see you whenever you’re ready—but don’t fuss, because I’m just going to get you dirty again.”

Abigail set the table in Stephanie’s dining room, and transferred the food into proper serving dishes. She opened a bottle of Stephanie’s favorite wine and left it to breathe for a few minutes before pouring. She found two tapered candles and lit them, and dimmed the overhead light to achieve a more romantic glow. She placed the flowers she had brought yesterday in the middle of the table, and quickly checked her lipstick and make up for smudges in the hallway mirror. Satisfied, she poured the wine, and as she was about to taste it, Stephanie walked in, wearing black jeans, short boots, and a royal blue silk button down shirt that fit her loosely, but perfectly.

“Well this is lovely!” Stephanie said. “I almost never eat at the dining room table, so this is a treat.”

“Since we haven’t actually gone on out for an official date, I thought we could romance-up the atmosphere here a bit. Your home is lovely, and I love your taste in – well everything,” Abigail said smiling, and pulling out Stephanie’s chair for her. “Madamoiselle, if you would take your seat, we can begin our meal.”

As they sat down and filled their plates with spicy curry, Thai rolls and chicken with peanut sauce, they filled each other in on their respective days.

“Well, I feel like I was floating through the Bistro today. It was like nothing was going to upset me—not the refrigerator shelf that broke, not the customer who skipped out on an expensive check without paying…I just dealt with it and moved on. Because I knew that no matter what, I was coming home to you tonight,” Stephanie said.

“I’m sorry you had some challenges, but really glad that you’re happy to come home to me,” Abigail said, reaching over to stroke the top of Stephanie’s hand.

“How was your day?”

“Interesting,” Abigail said. “I was late opening the store because I was unavoidably delayed by a certain distractingly sexy Bistro owner who insisted on ravishing my body before work.”

“Wait, insisting? Who demanded a ‘private’ conversation and flung me up against my office door and had your way with me? What was I supposed to do, be selfish and not reciprocate?” Stephanie said in mock outrage.

“Absolutely not. I think if you hadn’t touched me after I had you up against the door, I probably would have cried.”

“Can’t have that, now can we, sweetheart,” Stephanie said softy, depositing a kiss on Abigail’s lips. “Now continue—what else happened today to make it interesting?”

“Well, there was a line of customers waiting for me to open, and a delivery truck was there with supplies. And then Cassie appeared out of literally nowhere and offered to lend a hand. She dealt with the customers, I dealt with the delivery, and she and I had a lovely talk.”

“Did you tell her about us?”

“Of course, but she already knew. It didn’t help that I came to work sporting a ‘freshly-fucked’ hairdo and my sweater was on backwards,” Abigail chuckled.

“Oh no! I’m so sorry I didn’t notice,” Stephanie said.

“How could either of us notice? We were both so high on endorphins, we’re lucky we went back to work with any clothes on at all,” Abigail said while Stephanie nodded her assent.

“So of course, she’s thrilled. She said that you are sweet, and beautiful and that you love me like she’s never seen anyone love me, and she thinks that I’ve finally met my equal,” Abigail said grinning. “Oh, and she’s glad that the pack of wild dogs that I’ve had following me for the last several years can go looking for a new alpha female. I’m officially off the market.”

“Did she call your boyfriends a pack of wild dogs?” Stephanie said, astounded. “Cassie rarely uses judgmental terms like that, but I have to say, it’s accurate.”

“Screw you, Borden,” Abigail said pretending to be angry.

“After dinner, if you’re well-behaved,” Stephanie said, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

“Well, we know well-behaved is not in my repertoire, so should I leave now?” Abigail ask, with a lift of her eyebrow.

“You know what they say, ‘When you’re good, you’re good, but when you’re bad, you’re better’ so I think you can just stay right where you are,” Stephanie said. “Now, back to the rest of your day.”

“Well,” Abigail said, refilling their wine glasses, “Martha placed a big order, so I was busy with that most of the day. And then, the most interesting thing happened—again! I told you yesterday that my mom’s spirit appeared to me—well today, Cassie’s mom showed up! And, my great, great, great, great Aunt Patience Merriwick.”

“Oh my gosh, that’s so cool! It seems like you’ve really opened up to your new gift! I’m happy for you Abigail.”

“It’s pretty wild and a little scary actually,” Abigail admitted. “Cassie’s mom asked me to find some private time this weekend for the three of us to sit so that I can act as a channel so the two of them can talk. I was pretty unsure about all of that, since this is so new to me, but then, Aunt Patience stepped in. She was a famous medium in her day, and very gifted. She calmed me down and explained how it all works, and that I don’t do the work—I’m just the conduit. She said she’ll be nearby to help when I get Cassie and Jade together. Jade just really has some things she needs to say to Cassie, and her birthday is the perfect time. I just hope I don’t get in the way of myself. Patience said I need to check my ego at the door—that it isn’t about me at all. I’m just the in-between person.”

“Best birthday present ever for Cassie!” Stephanie exclaimed. “She’s going to be so touched. And I’m thrilled you got to talk with your mom, too. Maybe that will happen more often now?”

“No doubt. Aunt Jade said that the ancestors had been waiting for a medium in the Merriwick line to appear, and now they have me. Patience explained why my gifts are coming to me so late—even though they told me I’ve been like this since I was born. Apparently, me trying to hide behind a heterosexual façade was blocking me from living an authentic life. And the spirits couldn’t work with me as long as I wasn’t living truthfully. So when I decided to let you know how I felt, the dam broke, and now, my gifts are slamming into me full force.”

“How are you going to learn to use this, Abigail? Cassie’s not a medium, so I don’t think she’ll be able to help much.”

“According to my Aunts, she has a journal that belonged to Patience, as well as a good book on mediumship that will help me learn. Patience said she’ll guide me the rest of the way. I trust her. She’s very powerful, and I’m pretty lucky,” Abigail said.

“Well that’s a full day—you must be exhausted. I know I am,” Stephanie said, exaggerating a yawn.

“Why, Miss Borden, are you saying you’re ready to go to bed? It’s only 8:30,” Abigail said smiling.

“It’s that late? We better get ready for bed. We only have 10 hours to go before we have to go to work again, and if I know us, we take a looonnnggg time to fall asleep.”

“Right you are,” Abigail said, making quick work of clearing the table and filling the dishwasher.

“You’re gorgeous, smart, funny, you make beautiful love to me, and you do the dishes. I think I really have won the lottery,” Stephanie said, wrapping her arms around Abigail’s waist while she finished at the sink.

“You should see me on my hands and knees, scrubbing a floor,” Abigail quipped.

“Now that’s hot.”


	12. It's time to Tell Cassie about Her Present

Their romance, although slow to start, had ignited the night that they confessed their feelings to one another, and the flame had continued to burn brighter and hotter as each day (and night) passed. They couldn’t get enough of each other. There wasn’t a day that went by that week when one of them hadn’t visited the other’s place of business and snuck into the back office for a quickie.

“I don’t know what’s gotten in to me,” Abigail said Friday afternoon after one such intimate encounter. “I mean, I like sex—I mean I really like it—but with you, it’s gone to a whole new level. You’re all I can think about and I walk around wet all day just counting the hours until I can feel your hands on me again.”

“I know the feeling, Abigail,” Stephanie said. "I mean, I know new relationships can get intense, but this is ridiculous! Not that I’m complaining, because I’m not. And I’m pretty sure that this will settle down to a more manageable level in the coming months, but in the meanwhile, I’m going to enjoy every moment of you—of us. We’re really lucky, you know? Most people never have this.”

“And if I have anything to say about it, no one ever will have this with either of us,” Abigail said, taking Stephanie into her arms for a passionate kiss, not caring that the “back in 15 minutes” sign had expired 30 minutes ago.

Saturday came, and Abigail and Stephanie worked in their respective shops most of the day. Stephanie got the evening shift covered, as well as all of Sunday, and she was looking forward to Cassie’s birthday party and letting the whole family know officially what they had long suspected. She was anything but nervous, which was different for her. Normally, she cared a great deal what other people thought of her. And her business. And her cooking. And her choice of boyfriend. But a switch had been flipped in her, and for the very first time, she truly didn’t care what anything had to say about her relationship with Abigail. It felt right, it felt good, and it felt like she had found the other half of her soul.

As she heading out of the Bistro on her way home to get ready for the party, her cell phone rang. “Hi Mom! How are you?” Stephanie asked, knowing exactly why her mother had called her.

“Tell me everything, and don’t leave a thing out!” Betty exclaimed. Stephanie sat in her car, and told her mother the whole story, from beginning to end, leaving out the sex parts, of course, but making sure to include all the romance and feelings. Her mom was addicted to the Hallmark Channel, and was a sucker for a cheesy romance.

“Sweetheart, I’m so happy for you! And I love how romantic Abigail was when she told you how she felt. That must have made you feel pretty special,” Betty gushed.

“I’ll say. And when I read her the poem I picked out, she cried—and she’s not a crier. She’s more of a burn the village down and get revenge type of gal,” Stephanie said chuckling.

“Well good—I’m glad my daughter has a strong and fierce woman by her side. What are you two up to tonight?” Betty asked.

“Well, it’s Cassie’s birthday, and they’re having a small family gathering, and Abigail decided it was time to officially tell the family—although Abigail told Cassie personally, and her cousin Grace figured it out. Cassie’s the one who encouraged both of us to be brave and share our feelings.”

“That sounds lovely dear. I’m sure you’ll have a nice time. And I won’t make you blush by asking what you two will be doing for the rest of the weekend,” Betty said laughing.

“Too late! You managed to embarrass me anyway,” Stephanie said, admonishing her mother.

“I’m just teasing sweetheart. I want us to be close as a mother and daughter, but there’s no need to share intimate details of our respective sex lives.”

“Agreed,” Stephanie said, trying to shove any images of her mother and her sex life out of her brain.

“Let me know when the two of you settle down a bit, and I’ll come out to visit--maybe in a few months,” Betty said. “I know better than to intrude on love when it is new and passionate.”

“Ok, mom will do, and before you make my face any redder, I’m going to hang up,” Stephanie said. “Oh and mom? I love you. Thanks for being so wonderful about all of this.”

“I’m genuinely happy for you—for both of you. I have a very, very good feeling about this,” Betty said. “And with a daughter and a daughter-in-law, I have twice the chance of being a grandmother!”

“Bye mom! Have a nice weekend!” Stephanie said, hanging up the phone, starting her car and heading home. _Mom better keep a lid on the grandmother talk…I don’t want to scare Abigail away when I just got her!_

_+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++_

Abigail had closed the shop early, and walked into Grey House with a magnificent arrangement of peonies and hydrangeas in honor of Cassie’s birthday. She walked into the kitchen to find Cassie sitting at the table, drinking tea, and looking like she was deep in thought.

“Cassie? Are you all right?” Abigail asked, sensing her cousin was preoccupied.

“Those are beautiful Abigail. You shouldn’t have,” Cassie said, leaning over to smell the fragrant bouquet.

“Of course I did—nothing but the best for my cousin, but quit deflecting,” Abigail admonished. “I see you looking all pensive and sad into your tea cup. What’s wrong?”

Cassie just stared into her tea, and a teardrop fell from her eye and traveled down her cheek.

“Sweetie, come here,” Abigail said, enveloping Cassie into her arms. All at once, Abigail felt the presence of Jade enter the room, and she understood what was happening. Cassie needed her mom, and her mom was here, and it was Abigail’s job to bring the two of them together.

“I think I know what’s wrong Cassie,” Abigail started gently. “It’s your birthday and you really miss your mom.”

Cassie started sobbing in earnest, and Abigail held her and rubbed her back, telling her to let it all out, and that she was safe here. Abigail could sense that Jade really wanted to speak, because she could feel her presence practically on top of them, making Abigail feel anxious and closed in. She mentally asked Jade to step back and give them a few minutes and she’d let her talk to Cassie as soon as she could calm her down. Abigail immediately felt a sense of relief when she felt Jade step away.

Cassie’s sobs began to quiet, and Abigail gently released her and reached for a tissue and handed it to Cassie. “I don’t really need one, since I just wrecked your pretty blouse with all my tears.” Cassie said, trying to master her emotions.

“For you cousin, anything. Which brings me to my other present for you….and I’m going to need to give it to you now, if you’re ok with that.”

Cassie sat up straight in her chair. “Abigail, what’s going on. Something feels different about you.”

“First of all, where are the troops? Are we going to be disturbed for the next 30 minutes?” Abigail asked.

“Sam’s at work for another couple of hours, George is at an auction, looking for some old car parts, and Grace and Nick just left for the movies. And there are no guests, because it’s my birthday, and I wanted everyone to have the weekend off.”

“Perfect,” Abigail said. “So I have something to tell you, and it's good news. I’ve recently come into a new gift—mediumship. Apparently, Patience Merriwick was a famous medium in her day, and I’m the latest Merriwick Medium to make an appearance in a number of generations.”

“Abigail! That’s so wonderful. What a beautiful gift! But how did this all come about, and what does it have to do with my present?” Cassie asked.


	13. Cassie's Birthday Present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abigail uses her new channeling skills to connect Cassie with her mother's spirit.

“So my mom came to me first—right before I had my talk with Stephanie. I made her flick the lights on and off, turn the radio on and play my favorite song, etc. etc.” Abigail explained. “I’m quite certain it was her, and I’m quite certain I have the gift, because a couple of days ago, your mom came to me in my shop, followed by a visit from Patience herself. It seems the Merriwick ancestors have been waiting for me to come into gifts, and they have things to say, starting with your mom—Jade. She asked me to arrange for a time this weekend for you and I to sit together so she can come talk to you—through me.”

“Oh Abigail…is she here right now?” Cassie asked hopefully.

“Yes she is. She swooped into the room when you started to cry,” Abigail explained. “And judging by how close she’s standing to me, I’m guessing that she’d really like to start talking with you. May I bring her to you, Cassie?”

“Yes, she’s welcome,” Cassie said, choking back a sob.

“Take my hands for a few moments, and we’re going to say a prayer before we start.” Abigail closed her eyes and asked silently for Patience to act as her spirit guide and bring forth Jade’s words clearly, and bring comfort and healing to Cassie. Then she whispered a brief prayer: “We step forward to connect with Spirit in truth, in love, and we welcome in those who wish to do the same, for the highest and most positive future outcome of all involved. I ask the Archangel Michael to protect us while we work in the light and keep us from harm. Amen.”

Abigail emptied her mind, and removed any of her own thoughts and feelings and allowed Jade to enter. She had no idea how this was going to work, but Jade had said that she wanted to channel her. Abigail closed her eyes, took a deep breath and started to speak, in a voice that was not her own.

“I remember when you were a little girl, Sue Ellen--how excited you would be on your birthday. I always got up early and made you a birthday cake so that you could have it for breakfast. And you always wanted the same cake—devil’s food cake with peanut butter frosting.”

Cassie looked positively shocked, then her eyes lit up with amazement as the voice coming out of Abigail sounded exactly like what she remembered her mom sounding like. “Mom, you’re here! You came for my birthday!”

“Yes my sweet girl, I’m here, and I’m so glad I have this chance to speak with you,” said Jade, as Abigail’s hand reached over and tucked a stray lock of Cassie’s hair behind her ear. Cassie recognized it as her mother’s mannerism, not Abigail’s, further cementing her belief that she was indeed speaking with her mother. Abigail kept hold of Cassie’s hands and continued to speak in the voice of Cassie’s mother.

“When you were born, I named you Sue Ellen, but I like the one you chose for yourself and I think it suits you perfectly, so that’s the one that I’ll use going forward,” Jade said. “I need to tell you how much I love you, and that I’ve never left your side all these years. And that I’m so sorry I had to leave this world while you were so young. I know that made your life very difficult. But I’ve watched your grow, and flourish, and be fearless with the way that you live your life and the way that you love. That is your true power, Cassie, and it’s the greatest power that any Merriwick has ever possessed. You are the true embodiment of love—you love without envy, without judgement, without any thought of having that love returned to you. You love people who can’t love themselves. You love people until they can start to believe in and love themselves. You reunite stubborn hearts and help them find forgiveness. You’ve created a refuge at Grey House, and at the Bell, Book and Candle, so that all who seek may find. You have brought so much healing and light to this world, Cassie Nightingale, and I’m here to tell you that your work has only just begun. You will live a very long life, and more people will seek you, more people will challenge you, and make you dig deep into your heart for answers to their pain. You cannot cure their pain, but you can allow it space to be heard, felt, let go, and healed. People come here broken, and leave with a path forward toward a better life—one that is full of love and light. You need look no further than your cousin Abigail. When she came to you, she was a dark, lonely, and angry woman, bent on revenge. You loved that girl harder than she’s ever been loved before, when she surely didn’t always deserve it. And you showed her compassion, and what real family is about. And you carry on the Merriwick name and all the responsibilities that come with that name. You, Abigail, Grace, all do--and there will be one more Merriwick woman coming your way soon, with secrets to reveal and gifts to share. And you, beautiful you, will always open your heart and home to them.”

Abigail’s eyes had glazed over, and her mouth continued to move, telling Cassie all the things that she had wanted to hear from her mother’s lips for so long. She told of being there when Grace was born, and how she placed a kiss on both of their foreheads that first night.

“I felt that mom! And the night that Jake died, I felt your near me as I cried myself to sleep,” Cassie said, validating the information being shared.

“I’m sorry that it was so hard for me to communicate with you. But thank goodness we have Abigail now to help us,” Jade said.

“How is it that she’s doing this so naturally?” Cassie said, genuinely curious.

“Your aunt Patience is a powerful medium, and so is Abigail. Patience is working with Abigail, so that we could share this special time together for your birthday. And she will continue to help Abigail develop her gifts so that we can do this more often.”

“Thanks so much mom, and can I say something to you, too? I just want you to know that even though I couldn’t have you in my life for very long, you always live in my heart, and there is no one I would ever want to be my mom other than you. You have been the best mom I could ever hope for. And you helped me be a better mom to Grace,” Cassie said, tears flowing freely down her face.

“I have to go now, sweetie. I don’t want to tax Abigail any further—tell her she’s done well today, and that she needs to take a shower right away, to wash away all the energy that’s swirling around her. She won’t remember much of what’s been said between us, but she will remember the feeling of the tremendous amount of love I bring to you today. I love you Cassie. Always,” Jade said as the energy of her spirit faded away, and Abigail sat up and held onto the table for support.

“Are you ok, Abigail? You don’t look so good,” Cassie said, concerned.

“I’m not going to lie—I feel like I’m coming down off of some weird drug—not that I’d know anything about that. I could either faint or throw up—not sure which is going to win. So I’m just going to do a grounding meditation thing that Patience taught me for when I’m feeling floaty,” Abigail said, closing her eyes again.

“Let me get you a glass of lemon water, and my mom said you need to take a shower right away to wash the energy off of you,” Cassie said. “But get your sea legs before you try to stand up.”

Abigail sat for a bit, and drank the glass of water right down and asked for another, which Cassie brought to her right away. The color that had washed away from her face had started to return, and she was looking more like Abigail with every moment that passed.

“Wow, that was a trip!” Abigail said, shaking her head. “This mediumship stuff is no joke, and not for the feint of heart! Your mom was controlling my body—my mouth, my hand movements. And I felt everything she felt for you—it was all very overwhelming. But never mind me. Did you two have a nice visit? I really don’t remember much of anything that was said.”

“We had the best visit, Abigail, and it was just what I needed. I’ve been crying on and off all week, missing her terribly for some reason. I think because Grace is the age I was when she passed away—it’s hitting me hard,” Cassie explained. “But she told me I have plenty of work left to do in this world and that I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. Thank you so much Abigail. You don’t know what this means to me.”

“I think I do, Cassie. I lost my mom too. The two of us were left adrift much too young and had to struggle more than most. But getting to talk to my mom earlier this week? It healed so much of the hurt in me. I’m just so happy I got to bring Jade to you. We both got special gifts this week.”

Cassie took Abigail into her arms, and gave her a huge hug. “Now while I have you in my arms, let me help you up the stairs and get you into the shower. I don’t like how wobbly you are, and we need to put you back together in time for the party. You’ve got a girlfriend to introduce to the family!” Cassie placed one arm around Abigail’s waist, and led her up the staircase to her bedroom. She sat her on the bed, while she turned the shower on for her and got some fresh towels for her.

“Do you need more help, or do you have it from here?” Cassie said. “I don’t mind staying close by in case you feel a little shaky.”

“I’m fine, Cassie. Don’t fuss. I’m going to need to learn to deal with these feelings sooner or later, so I might as well get to it,” Abigail said.

“All right, but I’ll be just down the hall in my room getting ready, so yell if you need me,” Cassie said.

“Since when do I need to yell for you? You always know what I need before I need it,” Abigail said and the two women shared a giggle.


	14. Bananas and ginger tea

Abigail spent a long time in the shower, visualizing the shower as a beam of white light, cleansing her body, mind and soul from any lingering energy from the channeling work she’d done. _If I knew anything at all about what channeling entailed and how physically draining it is, I probably would have refused to do it. But then Cassie wouldn’t have gotten to talk to her mom, and well…that was worth some minor discomfort,_ Abigail thought as she fought another wave of nausea. _That’s it—I’m calling in the big guns…Patience! What am I supposed to do to feel better? This isn’t fun, and I have Cassie’s birthday party tonight. She’ll be so upset if she thinks that I’m sick from the channeling._ Abigail was relieved when felt the presence of Patience draw near.

 _Don’t worry, dear. It’s very common to feel drained and ill after channeling spirits. You’re doing the right thing—imagining yourself completely surrounded by white light. Imagine that I’m behind you, with my hands on your shoulders, sending you wave after wave of healing and my hands are drawing your nausea from your body,_ Patience said. Abigail did as Patience told her and she started to feel better. The pounding of her head receded, her nausea was improving, and she felt like less wobbly.

_Ok, that seems to be working. But can I make a deal with you, Patience? Can we maybe have a few lessons before I start channeling more Merriwicks? I mean, being a medium is one thing, but channeling is kind of an advanced skill—even I know that._

_Yes, we can Abigail, but I need you to understand something. You are very powerful, and your doubts and fears have no place here. When you are practicing your mediumship and channeling, you are fulfilling what you came here to do in this lifetime. So think about that. And a teacher will be coming into your life soon. One with an actual physical body,_ Patience said. _Now, go get dressed. Cassie made you some ginger tea for your stomach, and she brought you a banana—that’s the best thing to eat after mediumship._

 _Wait, how do you know that? And a banana—really?_ Abigail asked and she was met with complete mental silence. _Hmph…well, I’m glad she came when I called her, but I guess she gets to decide when she’s done for the day._

Abigail got out of the shower, dried off and walked into her bedroom. Just as Patience said, there was a hot cup of ginger tea waiting for her and a banana. _It’s a good thing I love being a Merriwick, because shit’s getting weirder by the day._

Abigail, ate the banana right away, and sipped the tea while she decided what she was going to wear. She picked out a lacy dark blue bra and matching boy shorts, and put those on just before she heard a knock at the door. “Stephanie?” she called out, and was surprised to see her standing at the door. “Boy, am I glad to see you,” she said, as she ushered her girlfriend in and closed and locked the bedroom door. “Not that I’m planning to make wild passionate love to you before Cassie’s party, but people around here do tend to ignore the whole concept of knocking. I’d rather be safe than sorry,” Abigail said, pulling Stephanie into a hug, and staying there an extra-long time.

“What’s wrong, Abigail? Are you not feeling well?” Stephanie asked, checking her forehead with the back of her hand for any sign of a fever. “You’re warm.”

“That would be because I just took a scalding hot shower and drank a cup of ginger tea. My stomach is a little wonky after channeling Cassie’s mom for her this afternoon,” she explained.

“Oh my gosh! How did that go? Was she surprised and thrilled?” Stephanie asked.

“Yes, and yes, and it went great I think, except I don’t know how to manage how the energy flows through my body, and it’s making me feel unsteady on my feet, nauseous and sapped of energy. I know this is temporary, but it’s a pain because I want to relax and have fun tonight, not worry about whether I’m going to fall over or pass out.”

“I’ll watch over you, so no worries there. If you fall, I’ll catch you,” Stephanie said confidently. “Now just sit down for a minute and collect yourself, and let me bring you whatever it is you want to wear tonight. Although, I’m a pretty big fan of what you have on right now,” Stephanie said as she let her eyes drift over Abigail’s body.

“I wish I could just crawl into bed with your right now, but I don't think I'd be much fun. And I really don't care what I wear tonight--I want to care, but I guess I just want to look like I cared enough about my appearance to look good, but I’m leaning towards feeling comfortable. So maybe my Lucky jeans, boots, and my favorite green sweater?”

“Coming right up—finish your tea,” Stephanie instructed as she gathered the requested items, along with a pair of socks, and brought them over to the bed for Abigail to put on. Abigail thanked her and made quick work of getting dressed. She took a bit longer putting her makeup on in the bathroom, but when she emerged, she looked much better than she had when Stephanie first arrived. “You’re really a magician with the makeup brushes,” Stephanie said in admiration. “You looked pretty bad when I got here—now no one would know you were having a rough go of it.”

“Perfect, because tonight is about Cassie, not me. Ok, well, it’s about me too because I’m introducing my girlfriend to my family, which is stupid because everybody knows.”

“It will be good to just put it all out there, and then we can just relax and have a good evening, and an even better rest of the weekend. Are you still coming over to my house tonight?” Stephanie asked.

“Of course I am. I even have my go-bag packed and ready for when we decide to blow this popsicle stand,” Abigail said smiling. “And I’m soooo looking forward to being able to sleep in with you, and not have to get up early in the morning to go to work—in fact, we don’t have to do anything, but just be with each other.”

“Oh yeah. I'm ready for that,” Stephanie said. “And right now, I’m dying to kiss you, but I don’t want to wreck your lipstick.”

“Get over here and wreck me baby—I got the kind that’s hard to smear.”


	15. Cassie's Birthday Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A beautiful celebration, and Abigail and Stephanie announce their relationship to the family.

Cassie’s party was lovely. Not wanting Cassie or Stephanie to have to cook for everyone, Sam had the dinner catered from the same restaurant where they celebrated her first birthday as a couple. The first course was Caprese salad, with fresh tomatoes, basil and mozzarella and a balsamic reduction, followed by pasta fagioli, and chicken piccata. He had also purchased several bottles of Cassie’s favorite wine, and Abigail had of course, provided the stunning flower arrangement that decorated the table.

“Sam, this is wonderful,” Cassie said, her eyes sparkling. “You’re making me feel very loved, and very special.”

“Well good, because you certainly are,” Sam said, leaning over to kiss his wife on the cheek. “Now, Nick and I will clear the table, while you all go and relax in the parlor.”

“Before you do that, I have something to share with you all,” Abigail said, taking a deep breath. “This may be a surprise to some of you--or not--but Stephanie is here tonight as my date. We’ve decided to quit denying our feelings, and we’re going to give ‘us’ a chance. And we’re hoping that you’ll love and support us just as you always have.”

Cassie was the first to rise and give Abigail a big hug, saying “It’s about time, you two!” and the room dissolved in laughter. “You were the only ones that didn’t have a clue what was going on between you.”

Everyone took turns hugging Abigail and Stephanie, and congratulating them for figuring out what the whole town had already known. “So what took you so long to figure it out?” Nick asked. “I mean, it only takes being around you for about 5 minutes to realize that you two are really into each other. Ow! What was that for?” Nick asked after Grace jabbed him in the ribs with her elbows.

Stephanie stepped in to rescue the situation, “That’s a fair question Nick, and we just—well, we took awhile to come around to the idea of being more than friends. We didn’t want to mess up what we already had for something that might not work.”

“I can certainly understand that,” Nick nodded knowingly. “However you got here, I’m really happy for both of you.”

“We’re all really happy for you,” Sam chimed in. “Stephanie, if you need any advice on dating a Merriwick, just let me know,” which earned him a jab in the ribs from Cassie. “What did I say?” Sam asked incredulously. “Come on Nick—let’s get this table cleared before we take anymore elbows to the ribs from the Merriwick women.”

“Let me take care of making a pot of coffee for you, Sam, and a pot of tea for everyone else,” Stephanie offered, and he gratefully accepted.

Both women were genuinely touched with the outpouring of love and support, but Abigail wanted to bring the party back to the guest of honor. She sat next to Cassie on the sofa, and asked, “How are you feeling after your mom’s visit?”

“So much better, Abigail. I had no idea how much I was really missing her—for so long. I used to beg the universe to give me the gift of mediumship so I could talk with her whenever I wanted to, and now I see why my prayers were never answered. Because I didn’t need to be a medium. That's your gift, and lucky me, you’re able to share it with me.”

“I’m still trying to wrap my head around it all, and I’m sure I will in time. But I know how healing it was for me to connect with my own mom, and that more people can be helped through their grief by connecting with their own loved ones—through me. So I need to figure this out and make it work,” Abigail said resolutely.

While Abigail and Cassie were chatting, Grace and Nick were trying to put the last touches on the cake. They argued--sort of quietly--until Stephanie snapped her dishrag at both of them, and said, “step aside—this looks like a job for a professional.” With a few tricks of the trade, Stephanie was able to keep the top layer from completely sliding off the bottom layer.

“Ok kids—this is as good as it gets,” she said as she put the last candle in. Nick and Grace started lighting the candles as quickly as possible, and carried the cake out to the living room together as Stephanie led the group in a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday. Cassie was truly touched, and the cake was somewhat of a success, although a bit crooked.

“I told you we should have put more frosting to make it look more level”, Grace said, elbowing Nick. “But I don’t really like frosting that much, and it would have wrecked the cake to frosting ratio,” he said, defending himself.

“Mom, make a wish and blow out your candles!” Grace said. Cassie closed her eyes, made her wish, and made quick work of blowing out all the candles on the cake. Everyone had the sense not to ask her what she wished for, because they knew she’d never tell.

After everyone had a slice of the very tasty, if not terribly attractive birthday cake, Cassie got the group’s attention. “So I asked everyone to skip the gifts today and instead, write down your favorite shared memory with me, so I hope you’re all prepared. And it’s really just for me. I’m going to keep them and when I need a little reminder that I’m loved, I matter, and I make a difference in peoples’ lives, I’ll pull one out and read it. There’s a basket in the front hall labelled ‘memories’, so you can just leave it there before you leave. And in case anyone forgot, there’s also paper and pens, so that you can rectify the situation and leave me with a sweet memory.”

The group hung around for another 30 minutes or so sharing some of their favorite Cassie stories. Then Nick broke up the group and said he had to go home to finish a paper he was writing for school, which led George taking his leave, and finally, Abigail and Stephanie. Cassie walked the women to the door, and looked on approvingly as they both deposited a memory in the basket.

“Cassie, I can fill your basket with dozens of memories, but this week was really special. The day you showed up at the store to help me and we had that great talk and you called my boyfriends a pack of wild dogs,” Abigail said laughter shining in her eyes. “And then today, when I brought your mom through—that was super special, although I don’t have many clear memories of what was said, I got to feel all the love your mom has for you, and I have to say, it absolutely took my breath away. You, my dear cousin, are very, very loved by people here and in the afterlife.” Abigail put her arms around Cassie and pulled her into a hug.

“You know, ever since you and Stephanie have been sleeping together, your hugging abilities have quadrupled in quality, and your cheek kisses, and tender gestures are grappling for second place,” Cassie said, enjoying the blush that was creeping up Abigail’s face.

“So I was a little repressed…especially around women,” Abigail confessed. “I was always terrified I would give myself away somehow, and now I don’t care. So if you’re one of the happy beneficiaries of my new found affectionate gestures, then that’s great.”

“Cassie, it was a lovely evening,” Stephanie said, giving her a hug. “Thanks for letting us come out to the family tonight as a couple.”

“I’m delighted that you are together, and that everyone knows. You both deserve every happiness,” Cassie said as she followed the women to the door and closed it behind them.

“Did the girls just leave? I wanted to say goodbye,” Sam said, putting his arms around his wife from behind.”

“I’m surprised they lasted as long as they did. Those two have it really bad for each other—it was palpable,” Cassie said.

“Really? I didn’t notice, except the usual. They’ve always been that way—now it seems that they’re a little bit settled since the feelings have now been spoken of, and they can be intimate with each other.”

“Well, we can agree to disagree,” Cassie said, “but one thing we can both agree on. We need to take a lesson from those two and get on upstairs so you can give me my extra-special naked birthday present.”

“Ewwwwww….” Grace said, coming around the corner into the hallway. “I’m scarred for life, mom—thanks!” she said as she scurried up the stairs, pausing only to say, “I’ll have my earplugs in all night so don’t worry about holding back on the embarrassing noises that I’ve been hearing ever since the two of you got back from your honeymoon. Good night mom—good night Sam,” Grace said smirking and sprinting the rest of the way up the stairs.

“I refuse to be embarrassed by that,” Cassie said. “Let’s go and make some embarrassing noises.”


	16. Saturday Night

It was still early by the time they arrived at Stephanie’s house. Abigail was feeling much better than she had that afternoon, but something just felt—well, different about her. She resolved to push everything aside and focus on the hot, delectable blonde that was in the middle of opening a bottle of wine and settling on the couch next to her.

“That was such a nice party,” Stephanie said. “And that cake was adorable--the kids did a decent job with it.”

“I have a feeling that you had something to do with the finished product. I found two toothpicks in my slice,” Abigail said, grinning.

“You did? I thought I pulled all those out!” Stephanie said, concerned.

“I guess the top was going to slide off, eh?”

“Yes, and I figured that was more important to fix than the lopsided structure. I had to pick my battles, and they didn’t have any spare icing,” Stephanie explained.

“Well, I’m sure Nick and Grace appreciated your help, and I know Cassie loved it! She’s the type of mom that will take a handmade card over an expensive gift any day,” Abigail said.

“And what about you, my dear—you’ve always tended to be a bit on the mercenary side, but I noticed lately that small gestures seem to be the key to winning your heart,” Stephanie said, leaning in for a kiss.

“Mmmhmm,” Abigail said as she returned the kiss slowly and sensuously. _We have all night, and all day tomorrow, and there is absolutely no rush this time._ She broke off the kiss, and picked up her wine glass, taking another sip.

“So my mother called me today, just as I was leaving work," Stephanie said. She wanted to know how my big reveal went with you the night we decided to stop dancing around the issue and just say how we felt."

“Really?” Abigail asked. “That’s pretty awesome that we both have our mom’s in our corner—although, I’m being presumptuous. Is she really ok with everything?”

“She’s more than ok. She is such a junkie for romance, she wanted to hear every detail of how we revealed our feelings to each other.”

“Every detail? Eek…that’s kind of TMI,” Abigail said, grimacing.

“Don’t I know it—she didn’t get any of the sexy parts—just the romance.”

“But the sexy is part of the romance,” Abigail said, running her finger from the base of Stephanie’s neck to her tastefully displayed cleavage.

“That may be true, but I’m not talking to my mother about our sex life—it’s not going to happen—ever,” Stephanie said vehemently. “Because if I tell her anything about mine, she’ll feel like she has free license to tell me about hers, and it’s very hard to scrub the inside of your brain with Clorox. I’ve tried—it doesn’t work.”

“Hmmm, I see your point. So when do I get to meet mamacita?”

“She said she’d come visit in a few months once you and I have ‘settled down’ a bit—that’s how she put it,” Stephanie explained.

“What does that mean?”

“She thinks were fucking like rabbits all the time and that if she were to come visit now, it would be putting damper on our passionate love affair,” Stephanie said, chuckling and shaking her head.

“So how does she know we’re fucking like rabbits? I mean, we are—but still—is that the vibe we’re giving off”? Abigail asked.

“Honestly, I am too consumed by my passionate love affair with a certain brunette to worry about how it looks to the rest of the world. I’m sure people have their ideas—I mean, everyone at the party knew all about us, and no one was surprised—only that it took us so long to figure it out,” Stephanie said. “And my mom is probably just picking up on my energy. She is my mom, after all. She knows me.”

“Yeah, Cassie has made a few comments to me about my energy being different—even how demonstrative I’m being with affection. I suppose if we are walking around turned on all the time, it’s going to be apparent—at least to people like Cassie, probably Grace, and your mother,” Abigail said. "In any event, I’m glad both of our moms know and are supportive—even if yours is still alive and mine is dead.”

“On the bright side, at least you can talk with yours now—that’s something you didn’t have until recently.”

“And it’s all because I was able to get over myself and tell you how I feel about you,” Abigail said, leaning over to steal another kiss, from Stephanie’s oh so delicious lips.

“Get over here,” Stephanie said, pulling Abigail into a passionate embrace. They spent the rest of their evening talking and kissing—kissing and talking—until Abigail said, “So, would you mind if we went to bed, now? And fair warning—I’m so wiped out from that channeling this afternoon, I’m not quite myself, so I’m not sure if I’ll be up to my usual exceptional standards in the lovemaking department—but I’ll try my best not to disappoint you.”

“You could never disappoint me in that department. All you need to do is lie there and let me do all the work—you’ve had quite a day, so you have my permission to be selfish tonight and let me show you just exactly how much I adore you, and how much I crave your body,” Stephanie said, getting up from the couch and extending her hand to Abigail to help her up.

“I love you, Stephanie.”

“And I love you Abigail. Come on—let’s go make some sexy memories.”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Stephanie had been waiting for an opportunity to shower Abigail with all the love and attention she’d imagined giving her for months and months, while they slowly came to understand their feelings for each other, and got over their fears of rejection. This was actually the first time since they declared their feelings for each other that they had a whole evening together followed by an entire day with nothing to do but be with each other. Stephanie was both excited and relieved at the removal of time constraints—at least for a day. The level of physical desire she had for Abigail was almost overwhelming. She could be doing something as innocent as baking muffins at the Bistro, and suddenly, she would think of Abigail, and her nipples would harden, and she’d feel the unmistakable slippery wetness between her legs that was now a several-times-a-day occurrence. She was hoping that with a whole day and night of passionate sex with Abigail, the overpowering lust that had dominated her week might be somewhat reigned in.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Abigail said, a mischievous smile forming at her lips as she sat on the bed and unzipped her boots.

“I thought you were a medium—not a psychic,” Stephanie said, pulling off her shoes and putting them away in her closet.

“Every medium is a psychic but not every psychic is a medium,” Abigail said. “That’s Witchcraft 101. You’re thinking about how we’re going to spend the whole night and all of tomorrow AND tomorrow night wrapped in each other’s arms, making passionate, sexy love together—and that maybe you can go back to a normal work-week after that.”

“All right—that might be a little uncanny. How did you know that?” Stephanie asked. _Am I going to need to guard my thoughts from her now, because up until this moment, she had no idea how I thought about her—if she had, we damn well would have gotten together much sooner._

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have done that,” Abigail said sincerely. “It’s just this new gift of mine. I’m seeing all sorts of things I’ve never seen before, and I’m able to hear thoughts and feelings from other people—even when I’m not trying to. But I admit, I was deliberately trying to read your thoughts and that was wrong of me to do that without your permission. I won’t do it again.”

“Is there anyone else who you’re able to read?” Stephanie asked, genuinely curious.

“Well, Martha’s super easy to read. She broadcasts fairly loudly, and her brain is going in a hundred directions at once—it’s pretty scattered and jumbled. Two minutes inside that mind and I gave myself a splitting headache,” Abigail admitted, vowing to herself never to read Martha again. “I can’t read Cassie or Grace. They have conditioned themselves, as I have, to shield their thoughts and their entire selves from any unwanted intrusions by people, energies, spirits, etc. It’s probably best if I don’t rummage around in people’s brains for more without their knowledge.”

“That sounds sensible,” Stephanie said, walking over to where Abigail was sitting on the side of the bed. “Can I help you get undressed? I’d like to see that cute little blue lingerie set you had on when I first got here?”

“Oh?” Abigail asked, as Stephanie unbuttoned her blouse and began to kiss and nibble on each expanse of exposed flesh as it was revealed to her.

“I do,” Stephanie said, her breath catching when she saw Abigail’s breasts, beautifully gift wrapped in the pretty blue, lacy bra that she’d been thinking about all evening. “You know, I find your beauty is quite distracting. It was hard to focus on conversations tonight—I just kept thinking about your gorgeous body, and what you were wearing underneath your clothes.”

“Oh, so you like the uwrapping part of the festivities—that’s good information for me to file away for future reference,” Abigail said, shivering as Stephanie slipped her blouse off and knelt down on the floor so she could kiss every inch of her torso, while her fingers teased her nipples through the lacy fabric. “It’s so nice not to have to play beat the clock tonight—for a change, I’m not in any rush whatsoever,” Abigail said.

“So are you telling me that tonight, I can tease the hell out of you, and you’re not going to pout and complain and torture me in return?”

“No, I cannot promise you any of those things. But what I can remind you is that I’m hardly a one-and-done kind of girl. You can make me come as many times as you want to tonight—the first one might be fast because I’m ridiculously turned on already. But after you take the edge off, I’m putty in your hands—and your mouth,” Abigail said. “You can take as long as you like, but you better pace yourself. I’m a lot to keep up with.”

“Challenge accepted,” Stephanie said. _This is going to be fun._


	17. Your body is a wonderland

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me a minute or two or a month to get back here--my apologies. I hope you like it :)

Stephanie continued her journey, kissing her way down Abigail’s body, placing one of her legs on her shoulder so she could caress and kiss it to her heart’s content, sending shivers up and down Abigail’s spine. She gently removed the leg and replaced it with her other leg and proceeded to show it the same amount of attention. Abigail tried to breathe deeply and relax into all of the wonderful sensations that Stephanie was treating her body to. _I can be patient. I can receive. I can be patient. I can let Stephanie do what she wants to without running the show and running my mouth._

Stephanie stood up next to the bed and unbuttoned her jeans, taking her time as she lowered the zipper slowly. Abigail’s eyes were riveted, as she watched Stephanie shimmy out of her jeans, revealing a very pretty pair of wine-colored lace panties that of course, matched her bra. Relieved of the majority of her clothing, she climbed onto the bed and straddled Abigail’s hips, locking them in place with her knees. She leaned down and took possession of Abigail’s lips, bathing them in sweet kisses and caressing the inside of her mouth with her tongue with long, sensual strokes. She pulled her lips away for just a moment, and was gratified to see Abigail’s neck pull up, desperately seeking more contact. “Is this what you want, sweetheart?” Stephanie asked as she dipped her head back down and recaptured Abigail’s swollen, needy lips, nibbling lightly on her bottom lip, and slipping her tongue inside her mouth, allowing their tongues to caress each other and stoke the flames that had started to burn hours ago. Stephanie’s hand began to roam a bit, running the length of Abigail’s torso and landing at her hip, where she toyed with the fabric of the very pretty dark blue panties that had been driving her crazy with want all night. She slid her fingers under the waistband, allowing them to gently caress the soft skin beneath. Abigail tried to roll her hips, but she was trapped by Stephanie’s knees, causing her to groan in frustration.

“The more you complain, the longer I’m going to draw this out,” Stephane said sweetly, smiling like the Cheshire cat.

“Who’s complaining? I’m just—shall we say—eager to find out how you plan to torture me with your deliciously slow and drawn out lovemaking,” Abigail said.

“Are you always this controlling and bossy? Wait—don’t answer that. I already know you are,” Stephanie said.

“It’s part of my charm,” Abigail said, smiling as she slipped her hand behind her back and unhooked her bra, tossing it onto the floor. “Ah, that’s better,” she said, as she took both of her breasts in her hands and began caressing them and teasing her nipples to tall, hard peaks. Stephanie’s mouth went dry as she watched Abigail’s sexy lips close around her taut, aching nipple. Wasting no time, she brought her mouth to the other nipple and licked it a few times before sucking it into her mouth—hard—interspersed with occasional bites that made Abigail moan.

“Aren’t you a pretty picture,” Stephanie said, her eyes not leaving Abigail’s mouth as she continued to lick and suck her nipple. She let her hands continue to roam down her body, slipping her hand underneath the waistband of her panties and cupping her mound with her hand, enjoying the wetness that felt so delicious between her fingers. She released her hold on Abigail’s hips, allowing the brunette to thrust herself closer to Stephanie’s hand. Taking a small amount of pity on her, Stephanie ran her middle finger from the base of Abigail’s slit slowly, all the way to her clit, then repeated the motion over and over, adding another finger to increase the pressure. Abigail was wriggling her hips, trying to somehow get Stephanie’s fingers inside her. She thought for sure that her little nipple sucking trick would make her lover plunge either her fingers or her face into her very aroused pussy, but it would seem that Stephanie was made of stronger stuff. _I’m used to playing hard to get in order to bend people to my will, but that doesn’t’ work with her—mainly, because it’s not possible for me to play hard to get. Or is it?_

Exhibiting an extreme amount of self-control, Abigail stilled her hips, and in fact, stilled all movement she was making. She did it gradually, one body part at a time, so that it would take Stephanie a bit longer to notice. It didn’t take long at all for Stephanie to get the message and asked Abigail if something was wrong.

“Just waiting for you to do something that I like,” Abigail said, affecting an air of indifference.

Stephanie, to her credit, burst into laughter, “Oh, sweetheart, if that’s you trying to play hard to get, you are really out of practice. I might have bought it, except for the fact that you’ve made a wet spot the size of a dinner plate down here, and my fingertips are getting wrinkled from how moist your sweet pussy is.”

“Ok, busted. But come on…I’m dying of unfulfilled lust over here…give a girl a break, would you?”

“You mean, like this?” Stephanie asked, rising up on her knees and slamming three fingers inside Abigail.

“Yes..yeah, like that,” Abigail sputtered as Stephanie drove her fingers inside and out—hard—at a steady pace. “I’ll be nice and happy if you keep doing that.”

“Well, I want my girl, happy, so I guess I will,” Stephanie said as she leaned over and resumed sucking and licking Abigail’s tits. Judging by the noises she was hearing, Stephanie picked up the pace slightly, and added a 4th finger. She guessed that the additional finger was welcomed by the way Abigail’s walls began to squeeze her fingers tightly. She began to kiss and bite her neck as she curled her fingers up, making certain to hit her G-spot with every stroke. Abigail was climbing higher and higher, getting closer to that place where the world stopped for a minute or two—when she knew without a doubt that her body was about to get the relief it craved. She took Stephanie’s face in her hands and brought their lips together, and wrapped her arms around Stephanie, needing the closeness that only Stephanie’s body could give her. Abigail couldn’t remember when her body had ever felt this incredible before, except perhaps all of the other times Stephanie made love to her. She arched her back and moaned, burying her head in Stephanie’s neck as she came, with her legs trembling and her heart pounding. Stephanie stilled her movements and stayed inside her as she gathered Abigail into her arms and held her closely, grateful beyond measure that finally, after all this time, they were together at last.

Stephanie slowly, and carefully slid her hand out from inside Abigail, and wiped it on the sheets, which were already pretty wet, and she couldn’t be happier. She pulled the covers up over their bodies, and continued to hold her lover close to her, softly caressing her face, and playing with her hair.

“You’re kind of quiet. Are you all right,” Stephanie asked.

“Mmmmmm…yeah, I’m totally all right. I’m just feeling really, really floaty and a little bit outside of my body, but not in a bad way,” Abigail said. “I’m not sure if I’m feeling this way because you just blew my world apart or if perhaps it’s a residual from this afternoon’s channeling session, but maybe it’s a little of both.”

“So you’re not feeling very grounded right now—is that what you’re saying?”

“Right. I wasn’t kidding when I warned you that my bedroom skills might not be up to par tonight,” Abigail explained.

“Don’t you worry about a thing. You can just fall asleep now if you think it will help. I’m sure you’ll wake me up a few times during the night to fuck you again—the night is young,” Stephanie said smiling.

“You make it sound like I’m insatiable, Mrs. Pott,” Abigail said.

“Why would I ever say something like that, Mrs. Kettle?” Stephanie replied. “We have the whole rest of the weekend—I’m not worried. I’m happy I get to hold you tonight while you sleep and no one has to get up early and go to work. So close your beautiful eyes, and let yourself fall asleep. I’ll take good care of you and I’m sure when you wake up, you’ll feel more grounded and more like yourself.”

“You’re so good to me. Thank you, Stephanie. I love you,” Abigail said as she sighed contentedly and laid her head on Stephanie’s chest and wrapped her arm around her. “Best pillow ever,” Abigail said just before she fell asleep.


	18. In the middle of the night....

Stephanie was sleeping a deep, dreamless sleep when she felt her lover's breath, hot on her neck. Abigail lifted her hair, and began kissing the very sensitive back of Stephanie's neck. She decided to pretend she was asleep as long as possible, to see how crazy she could make Abigail. Truthfully, it was already getting hard not to react, when Abigail’s impossibly hot, soft and sexy body was pressed up against her and her hard nipples poking into her back, sending heat between her legs.

“I know you’re awake, because you stopped snoring,” Abigail said, sliding her hand down Stephanie’s body all the way to her hip, where she slipped her hand under the waist band of her panties and lightly ghosted her fingertips over Stephanie’s ass, sending shivers up and down her spine. Stephanie couldn’t resist, and pushed her ass back into Abigail, who promptly put her hands on Stephanie’s hips and pulled her right into her molten core.

“If I wasn’t awake before, I am now,” Stephanie said, sliding one of Abigail’s hands to her center.

“Why are these things still on you?” Abigail said, sitting up and pulling Stephanie’s panties down and off of her legs. Her lips found Stephanie’s neck and she kissed and licked her while her fingers toyed with Stephanie’s entrance. “Mmmmm…nice and wet…just how I like you,” Abigail said, sliding her fingers up and down her slit, coating them with Stephanie’s arousal. She brought her fingers up to her mouth and sucked them in, moaning loudly. She rolled Stephanie onto her back, and slid down so her face was in between her legs. She showered her lover’s thighs with kisses and an occasional nibble, which had Stephanie writhing under her.

“Oh, you’re behaving very badly, young lady. I’m going to have to do something to keep you still,” Abigail scolded, sliding her arms under Stephanie’s thighs so she could anchor herself right in front of the very wet, very delicious pussy in front of her. The sweet, spicy scent that was uniquely Stephanie filled Abigail’s senses and made her own juices start gathering between her legs. She closed her eyes and buried her tongue inside Stephanie, stroking it in and out, and occasionally bringing it up higher, circling her clit, and taking it into her mouth and gently sucking it. She didn’t stay in one spot too long, making Stephanie crazy. “Patience, Grasshopper,” Abigail said, giggling, as she ran her tongue in long, strong, strokes up and down her slit, earning her a deep and appreciative moan.

“Mmmmm…now that’s really nice,” Stephanie said, relaxing into the feelings of arousal that surrounded her. Abigail’s steady pace was keeping her aroused, but she seemed in no hurry to finish her off. Seeking more of a connection, Stephanie slid her hands down to stroke Abigail’s forearms, enjoying their strength and softness while her tongue was doing amazing things to her pussy—but she needed more. She clutched at the fingers on her lover’s right hand and Abigail immediately slipped her arm out from underneath Stephanie’s thigh and slid two fingers inside her, curling them up to massage that special spot.

“More, please,” Stephanie said, her hips thrusting to meet Abigail’s fingers as they plunged in and out of her.

Abigail slid a third finger, then a fourth, inside Stephanie, while her tongue licked and stroked her clit in a riot of irregular patterns, designed specifically to draw their lovemaking out and drive Stephanie extra crazy. Abigail had always loved sex—a lot. But with Stephanie, it was a whole new ball game. She’d never actually made love with a partner before. Sex was just a fun thing to do, but making love with Stephanie was a completely different experience. She found she loved giving as much as she loved receiving—in fact, more. She loved giving Stephanie’s body pleasure, and since words were not always Abigail’s thing, it was one of the ways she could show her how much she loved her.

Her neck was starting to get a bit stiff from being in the same position for awhile, but she didn’t want to disturb Stephanie, who was, from the sounds of things, having a really spectacular time. Abigail shifted her position a bit so she could fuck her lover from a better angle and relieve her neck for a few minutes.

“Oh my god, whatever you’re doing, keep doing that!” Stephanie cried, moaning with pleasure. She rubbed her nipples, sending even more wetness to her center. She knew she wouldn’t last much longer. Stephanie took one of her hands and guided Abigail’s head and her attention right on her clit. Abigail sucked the hard, delightful pearl into her mouth and swirled her tongue around it harder and faster, while her fingers continued to slam in and out of Stephanie’s pussy. Her arm was burning, but she wasn’t going to stop for anything—not until Stephanie got every bit of pleasure and satisfaction she needed and deserved.

“Abigail, fuck—I’m going to come—don’t stop, please,” she said inflaming her lover to continue to flood her senses with pleasure. Stephanie’s legs began to tremble and she held her breath for several long moments until her back arched and she let out a loud groan as her walls started to spasm around Abigail’s fingers. She saw a bright flash of white light and then she felt like she was underwater and couldn’t hear anything as the pleasure surrounded her. When she finally settled down a bit, Abigail gently removed her hand, slid her body up beside Stephanie and gently kissed her lips and stroked her face.

“That was really, really nice,” Stephanie said. “I mean, it was better than that, but you broke my brain and I don’t have any better words than that.”

“I’ll take it,” Abigail said. “Besides, I’m more visual, and looking at how relaxed and peaceful and happy you are right now tells me everything I need to know.”

“Yeah, you don’t suck in bed any more,” Stephanie said, as she grabbed Abigail’s body and rolled on top of her, slipping her thigh in between her lover’s legs until it was coated with wetness.

Abigail gripped Stephanie’s ass so her thigh pressed up even more tightly against her slit, soothing the intense ache that had built up while she was busy pleasuring Stephanie. “I’m not even going to address that remark, because it’s kind of true and I really just need you to keep rubbing against me or something because I need to come.”

“Your wish is my command,” Stephanie said as she repositioned herself so she could slip her fingers inside Abigail’s very hot, very wet pussy.

“Yes, yes, yes—fuck me hard—please,” Abigail begged, her body inflamed with desire. Stephanie fucked her pussy with long hard strokes, but it still wasn’t quite enough. “Let me fuck you from behind, baby,” she whispered into Abigail’s ear as she pulled herself out and giggled at how quickly Abigail got on her knees and in position.

“That’s a very fucking good idea, Steph,” Abigail said as she felt her lover’s hand slide back into her pussy but from a whole new angle. “Oh fuck, yes that’s better,” Abigail said as she backed her gorgeous ass up into Stephanie’s hand with every thrust. Stephanie’s body was hovering over hers, her hard nipples dragging across the soft skin of Abigail’s back. Stephanie was hitting the perfect spot, and the pressure was building inside her pussy, and it all just felt so, so good. She reached down to rub her clit hard, and within just a few minutes of their combined attention, Abigail’s body shuddered and released an intense amount of fluid, and she collapsed onto her side, with Stephanie’s body curled up behind her, comforting her and softly stroking her.

“You all right, baby?” Stephanie asked.

“Just hold me please,” Abigail asked as tears of relief streamed down her cheeks. _I never thought anyone would ever make me feel this much love,_ she thought as she calmed her breathing and sent a quick thank you out to the universe and Stevie Nicks for making the stars align so that they could both share this very special love.


End file.
